Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Dear child,

Look.

Do you see Him?

There.

Standing at the front door.

The streetlights are flickering on.

The bats are flying low.

The last embers of the sunset

are disappearing now below the horizon.

It’s time to come home.

Listen.

Do you hear Him?

He’s calling you.

He’s calling you by name,

the name only He knows,

the name He placed inside you

before you were even born,

the name nestled and tucked

away inside your soul,

the name that means Beloved.

And Beloved, it’s time to come home.

It’s been a very long day,

and I can see some ripped jeans

and skinned knees, a runny nose

and a pair of sleepy eyes.

I can hear a rumbling belly,

and some shallow breaths.

You’re hungry and thirsty and tired

and now won’t you come home to rest?

He’s waiting for you.

The bread is on the table.

The hot water is flowing into the tub.

The sheets have been pulled back on the bed.

It’s time to come home

to the place where you are forever loved,

to the place where you are forever safe,

to the place where God waits, eternally.

Amen.