“Let not your hearts be troubled;

believe in God, believe also in Me.

 ² In My Father’s house are many rooms;

if it were not so, would I have told you

 that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ 

And when I go and prepare a place for you,

 I will come again and will take you to Myself,

that where I am you may be also.

 (John 14:1-3)

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Waving as we drove away,

My parents waving back,

From the front doorstep

Of my childhood home,

That memory held within,

Undisturbed by change.

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The house was then sold,

And they moved south.

I cannot let myself return,

The home does not exist,

New owners across time—

I never went back.

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Recently, I went to a doctor appointment in a city north of where I now live. I used to reside in that city for three years in the 1970s. It had grown exponentially since then when I would visit friends. Yet, on this trip, I saw empty malls and blank store front windows with no advertising or products displayed. Familiar businesses were gone with many closed stores, including the one where I worked those three years. I felt great sadness and loss with the changes. This view altered my former memories. I could not block out the newer perspective. I had gone back.

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Earth holds no treasures that endure,

Even memories fade with aging,

Yet, we long for some place secure

From birth to the very end of life,

Seeking always that changeless place

In a world where it cannot abide.

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Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ⁵ And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

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Looking beyond sight to faith,

Not back to memories that fade,

Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts,

Offering life eternal secure with Him;

The home prepared for us awaits,

Where goodbyes are never waved.

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¹⁴ For here we have no lasting city,

but we seek the city which is to come.

 ¹⁵ Through Him then let us continually

offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,

that is, the fruit of lips

that acknowledge His name.

(Hebrews 13:14-15)

(Sharon G. Tate blog 02/19/2022) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word