But our citizenship is in heaven.
And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ.—Philippians 3:20 (NIV)
I thought that perhaps, in my exhaustion after driving 1,200 miles with my husband and three children, my eyes were playing tricks on me. Yet there they were, the majestic gray whales, raising their flippers high above the surface of the Pacific Ocean before us. It was as if the massive creatures were waving—welcoming us to their waters.
As we ventured up the Oregon coast, we discovered the whales in several inlets. Unlike their relatives who migrate from Alaska to Baja, Mexico, these pods of resident whales remain in these inlets and feed. When they do travel, they return to their original locations.
The week before we were greeted by the whales, we had sold our house and set off in an RV across the Pacific Northwest. And yet, just like our new aquatic friends, we would find our way back home. We were eager to return to our church family, our community and our beloved Colorado.
Watching the gray whales left a deep and lasting understanding of the word home. Amid long journeys and arduous travels, the whales always know where they belong.
Wherever life takes me, I too can be certain of where I belong. I can hold to the promise that my eternal home is fixed in heaven.
Dear Lord, no matter where I may roam, remind me that my home is with you. Amen.
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