Homesick at Heart: Remembering Where You Belong

A reminder that home is not a place, but His presence!

"Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” (John 14:23)

We all carry pieces of home within us wherever we go!

“We all carry pieces of home wherever we go.”

Homesickness Hits

Today, I am missing home!

It's not really a physical location. We have a beautiful home and family here in the Philippines. I love where we live and the people I get to share life with.

Sometimes it just hits me—like a slap in the face out of nowhere. I know I left parts of my heart with different people, scattered across continents and mismatched time zones, and I am once again confronted with the impossibility of ever bringing all those pieces back together.

I miss gathering around the table and understanding every word spoken. I miss the feeling of fully belonging and being loved without the barriers of skin colour and the assumptions about who I am. My heart aches with the realisation of an outsider looking in. The permanent legal resident alien status is an isolating stamp on more than just my passport.

I miss piping hot roast potatoes and slices of apple pie swimming in a bowl of cold cream.

Simple breakfasts on fancy china were my Grandma's way of loving us extravagantly.

I miss wearing a weighty winter jacket and drinking from a cup and saucer that Granny poured whenever we visited her.

I have the teacups and the teapot in my kitchen now.

It tasted like home when she poured it for us, accompanied by hot buttered toast and green marmalade for breakfast on a dainty, matching floral side plate. She made us feel safe and special with lacy tablecloths and the constant sound of her wooden clock keeping time. Belonging is security, warmth, and the comfort of togetherness.

Familiar Comforts

I miss a simple stroll down the street without feeling the weight of eyes staring at me.

I miss the changing seasons!

I miss being able to shop at the market without anyone second-guessing me or making comments, assuming I don’t understand. I miss blending in, riding a bus or train without air conditioning, and the autumn leaves swirling overhead in a cascade of orange rain. I miss the crisp north wind whipping against my cheek and the comfort of thick, cosy socks beside the roaring flames of a wood stove fire.

Most of all, I miss my family. They are all so far away.

The Question of Belonging

Sometimes it hurts so much that I shake, knowing I will never experience the fullness of being entirely myself this side of eternity. I said yes to a different life thousands of miles away, with absolutely no regrets. But some mornings, when I am alone with the windows flung wide open and the bright blue sky pouring in, while a pair of tropical birds chase each other in chattering flutters above the window ledge, I long for those hugs that I will have to wait months for again. They feel like part of another world where I no longer fit.

Life in the tropics is 7000 miles away!

This isn't ingratitude; I am forever grateful for all the beautiful treasures in my life. I just wish they could all fit together in one place… just for one day!

These unsuspecting moments of grief, loss, and longing defy description. There are no adjectives for living in the tension of obedience, faith, and the realities of loving without borders.

Understanding Citizenship

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)

I find myself reflecting on Jesus, who lived on earth while reigning as the King of all. I understand why he withdrew and how his heart found comfort in the quiet of breathing mountain-clear air or taking barefoot walks along the water’s edge. It was communion. Being together with His Father. He was not divided - fully himself in every place!

Jesus said he and His Father would make their home with us. I don't think that is just a future hope or something to wait for. I believe it is available to us right now, no matter where we may be. It is accessible in your office, touchable from the supermarket checkout, and part of our everyday life - closer than we realise.

HIS PRESENCE is our permanent HOME - it is for now and forever.

Now that I have had my cry, tried to write, and sat in the moment, there is peace, power, and presence. Just breathe it in wherever you are right now! Rediscover that you belong!

🌿When have you felt most “at home” — and what made that place or season feel safe and comforting?

🌸How do you usually respond when you feel homesick or displaced — do you withdraw, seek connection, or turn to prayer? What might God be teaching you through this sense of longing or disconnection?

🏡In what ways can you invite God’s presence into the place where you are right now?

✉️ This website and blog are currently under reconstruction and reorganisation. I hope it will become a resource of faith, encouragement, and shared journeys!

Thank you for your patience and support!