In 2004, Donna and I went with the Juniors and Seniors of our church to Breckenridge, CO for a ski retreat. I remember being on top of the mountain, mad at myself because it took me 42 years to get there! I promised myself, God willing, I would be back to the Rockies every year for the rest of my life! For the past five years I've kept that promise. The very next year we brought the kids and a few friends from Lafayette to Steamboat Springs and we've been back every year since. Until now.
Robin is a senior this year, and for her family senior trip she wants to go to New York. We already have the trip booked. Now don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to our trip to New York. I'm thankful we have the opportunity to go somewhere as a family we've never been before. But no Colorado? No Steamboat? No snow skiing? I'm grieving! Seriously - I think about it EVERY day! I keep looking for angles that would allow me to get at least a couple of days in on the slopes!
You see Steamboat is that home-away-from-home for me. All year long I look forward to returning there and taking in all the sights, sounds and experiences. There's an anticipation about it that thrills me.
I was thinking about it this morning and all the sudden it hit me: I should feel this way about Heaven. I should have this anticipation and feel this grief over being separated from my true home-away-from-home. If I'm going to be honest, I don't have that homesick feeling for Heaven like I should. The only way I'll recapture that desire is to steal away moments on 'the slopes' as it were through worship. The more we're with God, the more we want to be with Him. In this case, absence does not make the heart fonder. So I'm gonna jump on the lift. I'm going up on the mountain. I'm going to catch a glimpse of home.
By the way, our youth pastor Shawn came to me last week and told me he'd like to take our Juniors and Seniors on a ski trip in March. I immediately volunteered to be a chaperone!
