HOMESICK
AT HOME
Topics: Afterlife; Children; Despair; Eternal Life; Family; God; Home; Longing; Parenting; Sadness
References: Ecclesiastes 3:11; Matthew 11:28–30; John 14:1–4; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:1–5; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21; 22
My son, Brian, and his wife, Becky, were heading south to the Florida Keys for their fifteenth wedding anniversary. I had volunteered to housesit and watch my grandsons—Nathan, seven, and Joshua, five. The three of us were looking forward to our vacation, too: pool splashing, Happy Meals, park Olympics, and snuggle time.
The parents slipped into the boys’ room around 5:00 a.m. to give last-minute hugs and kisses. When I woke up an hour or so later, I could hear the kids. “Up and at ’em,” those sounds reported. “Your starting bell is ringing!” Sure enough, I found Nate and Josh wrapped in blankets and watching a cartoon on television.
The rainy day seemed to go on forever. The three of us played games, watched videos, and drew pictures. I got out my famous “Granny bag” filled with surprises and produced a puppy-and-mouse marionette show. After that, we all stood at the window looking wistfully at the pool as it filled with rainwater.
At last it was time for bed. Then the phone rang. It was Brian and Becky, and the boys jumped up to chat. As each one took a turn talking with their mom and dad, the tears began to flow. The boys were tired, their parents were far away, and as much as they loved Grandma, they wanted Mom and Dad.
I tried to quiet the boys. Josh eventually fell asleep with his mouth wide open, still crying. Nate couldn’t stop thinking about his parents. He was like a record stuck in one spot. Through the wailing, he managed to eke out, “Grandma, I’m homesick, and I am home. How can that be?”
I took him into my bed. I rubbed his back and spoke soft words until he finally fell asleep.
We only had one night of tears. Mom and Dad learned to call during the day when the boys weren’t so tired. Five days later, the parents returned. The boys’ faces were filled with smiles, and they couldn’t get close enough to their parents. At last, home was home.
—Pat Bailey, Batavia, Illinois