Not My Home

In a few weeks the year 2012 will be over, well unless you believe the Mayans knew what they were talking about & the world "ends" on December 21st.  A few days into January, the calendar will remind me that I will be a older  As I see more gray in my hair, which I do cover, I now see a few in my eyebrows, along with the wrinkles around my lips, the spider veins on my legs, etc.  While  putting on  makeup yesterday, as I use a 10x magnifying mirror to see all those "flaws" close up, the thought came to me: This is NOT my home.
       That phrase is used often by Christ Followers in reference to living here on earth as opposed to one day being in Heaven. Yet, it also applies to this earthly shell we are contained in that in Heaven will be flaw free with no more disease, pain or tears.  What a glorious thought, but often hard to grasp or be content with while we are here dealing with the process of aging.
       If you are like me, you try not to complain, but I find even the little physical issues annoying.  I just want to feel good ALL the time.  Often I am quickly reminded of others who are suffering much more & I feel a twinge of guilt for being so selfish/whiny or whatever you want to call it. 
      I truly am grateful that my aches &  pains are few & minimal, thanking God for His mercy upon me.  I know full well it is undeserved.  Sometimes, in my heart, I feel my thankfulness sounds so trite to the Lord & it bothers me.  Yet His Word clearly says in I Thessalonians 5:16-22  "Be JOYful always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
      Whether it is our bodies or our house that we reside in, both are deteriorating.  BUT the GOOD NEWS for Christ Followers is found in many Scriptures.  Here are just a few & they are truly something to be JOYful about:

II Corinthians 5:1,2  Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.   For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 

I Corinthians 15:53,54  For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. When this happens -- when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die -- then at last the Scriptures will come true: "Death is swallowed up in victory.

Philippians 3:20 " But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ"
Revelation 21:3-5  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.   He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

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