Time Away

As I write this entry, I am in a hotel room in Bismarck, North Dakota. It is truly one of my favorite places to visit. I love the land, the people, the simplicity of the life of here.

When I am away from home and things familiar it reminds me of how I really am a traveler in life. God never intended us to become so rooted down in the cares of the world that we would consider this place home. He wants us to always be looking forward to going home - and home is where God is.

So while we are temporarily roaming this earth our outlook should be one of seeing this time as a preparation for what it to come. What are we spending our time doing? What are we investing in? Are they temporary, fleeting objects that will be gone when our earthly travail has past? Or are we investing our hearts and lives into those people that we want to see with us in heaven?

The picture that I have posted with this entry is of a little church that I saw on the prairie here in North Dakota. The beautiful blue sky framed the church and all I could think of at that time was how the steeple pointed straight to heaven. We are always to be looking up - thinking of God and of the permanent home He is preparing for us. And one day in the clouds, the Savior will return to take us home to be with Him. There will be no more worry, no more fretting about things that really don't matter. For all of our sorrows will be turned to joy, all of our questions will be answered and we will be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.

How glad I am for time away. Time away reminds me that there are people and places all over the world where the love of the Savior is not known. There are people that have never heard the good news of salvation. The temporary home that they live in - is all that they know. Oh that I might be more concerned about the permanent future of those that I come in contact with as I travel from place to place in life's journey.