Going Home

A friend of mine was telling me about a trip her son was on; he was doing some traveling out west. She misses him because he lives out of town and she doesn’t get to see him much. He was telling her how beautiful everything is in Washington, Oregon and Idaho and said he was having a great time. She was happy he was having a good time, but said, “I, very selfishly, don’t want him to like it too very much as he has previously spoken about moving out that way.” Meaning he’d be even further away.

It struck me that our Father in heaven must feel the same way about us. He created everything on earth for us and He wants us to enjoy it, but he doesn’t want us to enjoy it so much that we are lead further away from Him. He wants us to come home to heaven and if we live too much of this world and forget where we are destined to be, we may not make it.

For some reason I thought about baseball and when the batter hits the ball and takes off for first base, but what’s his ultimate goal? To get back home, where he started. He should enjoy being at first base. He should also keep his eye on second and third base, but his heart must remain true to home base. Even though he is on the right path, he can stray. If he decides to rely on himself and steal the next base, because it looks so sweet, and doesn’t wait for his teammates to back him up, what can happen? He can get caught and then he’s out! All hope for home, getting that run, are gone as he bypasses home plate and goes to the dugout!

Just as he should rely on his team to help him get home, so too do we need to rely on God’s team. Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all the angels and saints. They are all part of God’s team, just as we are. They’ve already made it home, now they are there to cheer us on.

Life is a journey and there are so many “plates” on our path to heaven. God wants us to enjoy these “plates,” those “stops” in life, but He doesn’t want us to lose sight of home.

Think about the things in your life that distract you from God and the home in heaven He has prepared for you. Television is a great invention and can be used to great benefit. Watching EWTN is awesome, we are encouraged on our journey home by watching this type of broadcasting. But when we start flipping channels and watching such things that glorify and even celebrate a life turned away from God, we risk being caught in between bases and sent to the dugout. Is thirty minutes of “excitement” worth the dugout?

Even the good things can be overdone. Going to mass, praying, adoration. These are all good and holy things to keep us on the path to home base. But in excess, to the extent that we neglect our vocation in life; such as when a spouse spends all their time in church instead of taking care of their family, then we risk not returning to home base. A friend calls this spiritual gluttony. When we focus on God and our own personal faith lives to the exclusion of all else.

Anytime we seek our own pleasures above all else, we lose sight of God, who is in heaven waiting for us. He wants us to come home, he longs for us. He gave us an angel of our own to guide, guard and protect us while we are here on earth. Why? Because even if we take our eyes off heaven, our guardian angel always has his eyes on God and he will lead us back, ever so gently. He’s like the 3rd base coach telling you to stay put. If you listen, you’ll be safe, if you forge ahead without regard to that guidance, you greatly increase your risk of not making it home.

What a shame to stray from the path, it’s much harder to find your way back once you’ve strayed. Not impossible, just more difficult. One of my favorite scriptures passages is James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

It’s a simple desire; that our children return home to us; because we love them and believe they belong at home. It may be a selfish desire, but it’s borne of the great love we have for our children. The only greater love is that which our Father has for us and His selfish desire that we come home to Heaven.

#baseballhomechildrenvocationfathergod