What's So Special About Home?

In my Father's house are many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

John 14:2 

There is a certain feeling that only home can give. It might be the smell of a familiar kitchen, the creak of a floorboard you know by heart, or the way you can finally exhale the moment you walk through the door. Home is where you are known and where you belong. Maybe you have a place like that, or maybe you are still searching for it, carrying a quiet ache for somewhere you truly fit. If your heart longs for home in a way you cannot quite explain, please know you are not alone. That longing is one of the deepest and most human things we carry.

The prodigal son knew this ache well. He demanded his inheritance, walked away from his father, and chased a life that promised everything. But far from home, feeding pigs and starving, he finally came to his senses. He turned toward the one place he thought he had lost forever. And here is the beautiful part: while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, ran to him, and threw his arms around him. There was no lecture, only a robe, a ring, and a celebration. Home was never about the house. It was about the father waiting there with open arms.

Here is the tender truth you can hold onto today: God designed you for home, and ultimately heaven is that home. Every earthly longing for belonging whispers to you about Him. Jesus promised He is preparing a place for us, a home where every tear is wiped away, and we are welcomed forever. Wherever you find yourself, near or far, the Father is watching the road, ready to run toward you. So take a quiet moment today and come home to Him in prayer, honestly and without pretending. Then create a little more warmth for someone else this week. Open the door of your heart to a person who needs a black to belong.

~by Dr. Joe Pettigrew 

From the October 8, 2026 edition of This Week at Pender newsletter

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