Come Home

“Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

‭‭Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Hello, my friend…

I was just having a conversation with a couple of friends a bit ago and the topic of peoples’ attitudes came up. There is so much stress in the world right now, so much anger and division, so much distrust that we have a hard time (in the natural) just being kind to one another.

I was raised to be very aware of anyone different. Being raised in a typical, all-white, rural town, EVERYONE was different. Blacks, middle-Eastern, Oriental, Hispanic, Mediterranean – these were all different than my people. My father sat me down at the age of 10 to explain the facts of life to me. In that discussion, he passed on his many years worth of experience and wisdom about life, religion, and others. Dad was a blue-collar worker, so that went pretty quickly. Religion got a little dicker because by that time I had been exposed to a congregationally-led, community Protestant church, a Disciples of Christ Christian church, a Spirit-led full-gospel church, and a Baptist church. Then came the discussion about “others.” His discourse included all the stereotypical slang names for each race, along with why they couldn’t be trusted.

As I grew older, I learned that dad’s advice was merely general guidelines – not hard and fast truths. When I joined the U.S. Army, I was exposed to even more others – to include gays, lesbians, bi-sexual, transvestites, and all the rest. It became glaringly apparent, as I was forced to spend time with them (often relying on them to guard my very life in combat), that they were actually real people, too. They had childhoods, they had traumas in their own lives, they had fears, they had dreams and wishes – just like me. My understanding was expanded even further when I was deployed into foreign countries and often came face-to-face with the enemy.

Another set of rules I learned in the military extended to those in authority over me. I often found myself in positions where there was a black man over me, a Hispanic over me, or a woman over me. Now I had a new set of problems to deal with. I learned to apply what I already knew about each one to this new dynamic in my life. It didn’t always work so easily, but then I was taught to respect their position – even if I didn’t particularly like them as a person.

Through the years, the church has always been a big part of my life. Even when I was living as a hellion, I still knew there is a God in heaven Who was watching over me until I returned (much like the Prodigal Son). I can only be thankful that He never left me alone. I have done things for which I can never make restitution. There a ghosts in my past that still haunt me from time-to-time. But God walked beside me through the dark times, whispering to me words of counsel and encouragement. For that, I can never say Thank You enough.

I can honestly say I have come home. And it feels good. I still have some lingering baggage from the past that God is dealing with me about, but with His grace I shall overcome. My friend, how about you? I don’t know who is reading this message or hearing the sound of my voice, I don’t know anything about your past (or even your present), I don’t know geographically where you are. But this thing I know: you can never outrun the love of God, you are not beyond His desire and ability to save, and today is your day.

These are not feel good words from someone blowing smoke. These are the words of one who has walked in the footsteps of Paul, of Peter, of David, and of Abraham. I know what it’s like to be the outcast, I know what it’s like to have power and control over others. I know the pain of physical suffering, and I know how awesome it is to be healthy and whole. I know how I felt when I was wandering through this life alone, afraid, and confused, but now I know the peace and joy of being accepted, loved, and chosen. Those are the things God holds out to you today. Those are the desires I have for you. Come home.

Be blessed.