Country Roads

COUNTRY ROADS

"Country roads, take me home, to the place, I belong, West Virginia, Mountain Momma, Take me home, Country roads."

You can't be from West Virginia (the state) and not be familiar with this song that John Denver made famous. When I hear this song it gives me chills and takes me back to the place I am from, where I was born and raised. No matter where you are in WV, if this song starts playing, people will start singing.

I'm mountaineer born and moutaineer bred and when I die I'll be mountaineer dead. We don't pick where we are born and raised, thats sort of up to our parents, but my point is there is no place like home.

If the Wizard of Oz didn't teach you this, then maybe God can use me to remind you of this today. I don't care where I live and where I go in this life, West Virginia is home and always will be. I am very proud of that and you should be proud of where you are from as well. When you've been away for a long time or you live far away there is no place like going home.

God created you and me, He allowed us to be born on this earth, but this earth is not our home. For those of us who have a relationship with God, we know that Heaven is our home and that this earth is just tempoary. This earth is a preparing place for eternity.

What that means is we should invest all our heart and soul in this world and neglect God or faith, because this world is not our home. I think it even means as we grow in our faith in God it should even make us a little homesick for home(heaven).

It has always amazed me how much people get wrapped up, consumed, and ate up with things of this world: sports, hobbies, money, sex, greed, power, fame, religion, control, etc....and they miss the point of why we are here on this earth.

When I go home to WV there is nothing like seeing all the hills, trees, scenery, and most of all the dear people I love and miss. It is a reminder to me that Heaven is that much more spectacular, that being in Heaven with God and saved loved ones is much more precious that even the earthly relationships I have and cherish.

West Virginia's slogan is "Almost Heaven", and that may be true, but there is no substitute for Heaven.

We all have to work, have hobbies, and live on this earth every day, and every day we live is a blessing from God, but this life is not about this life, it's about the life to come. We have a choice where Home is. We can spend eternity in the presence of God(Heaven) or choose an eternity without God (Hell). I think it's time for many of you to find your way home. For others, let this be a reminder today, that Heaven is where Home really is.

Just like that country road that leads me home to WV, there is one one road we can travel to get home to God and that is through Jesus.

Find your way home, remember your way home, and know the way home to an everlasting life with God.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Matthew 7:13-14(NIV)