“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1
Not long ago I came home exhausted from a long trip. The house was cool and dark, the rooms were empty, and Ken carried my suitcases into the bedroom. It was good to be home, and near my husband again. But sometimes, coming off a long trip, you really want to feel home in the deepest sense. Not just inside the four walls of your familiar dwelling — but home. Home with God.
Ken flicked on the bathroom lights and I wheeled in. And there, sitting on the counter, were roses. They took my breath away — and not simply because of their lush texture and color, but because they were so different from everything else around me. The sink is made of porcelain, the counter, Corian, the walls, wallboard. A glance around the room revealed brass and glass, plastic and metal, tile and paint. Everything around me was machined and man-made. Everything but the roses.
Martin Luther once observed that “a man who could make one rose would be accounted the greatest in the world. Yet God scatters numberless roses around us. His gifts are so infinite that we do not see them.” When I saw those roses in the bathroom that evening, I felt instantly at home. The flowers in that vase spoke of my Father’s touch…and my husband’s love.
Nature is only a name for an effect. And the cause is God. The touch is His…from a lowly daisy to a queenly rose…from a tiny pine seedling to a towering redwood…from the whisper of April wind in the cherry tree to the crashing of a storm-driven surf. Bring something into your home or office today that reminds you of His creative touch: a vase of flowers, a colorful seashell, a humble pinecone, or a thriving, green houseplant. Let these God-breathed, God-caused touches remind you of your real home.
Creator and Savior, You have said You are preparing a place for me in Your Father’s house…just over the horizon. One day soon, I will be home forever.
