Back during the last Christmas season, every time I turned on the radio I was treated to an unending stream of Christmas songs. Whenever I walked into a store, it was the same thing, Christmas music from the ceiling speakers. While there was a lot of variety, I could count on hearing Gene Autry spin the tale about Rudolph and listen to Bing Crosby sing about his memories and longing for a White Christmas. Among all of the selections, I could count on hearing those two at least once per day, and often more.
Now, I like Gene Autry. He made a lot of low budget western movies and a TV series back in the 1950’s. As for Bing, he had a very long and successful music career. However, after a while, I maxed out on Gene, Bing, the Chipmunks, and all of the other Christmas fare and went searching for something else.
One of the places I went was to YouTube. I have gone there quite often when I was trying to do something or fix something, like the time I replaced the headlights on my wife’s car, repaired the leaf blower and figured out why the refrigerator was leaking water. There is also a lot of music and music videos out there, too. This time I went looking for different Christmas music and I found some. What I stumbled across was the United States Navy Band Christmas Concert 2018. If you have never listened to them before, check them out because they are absolutely top drawer professionals. Besides the main band, there is a country music band and a couple of choirs. Great music!. Anyway, interspersed between some of the songs were videos of sailors and marines with recorded Christmas greeting for the family and friends back home. Then there were videos of homecomings, when the deployed members returned home after a deployment and were reunited with their families. As expected, there were spouses and kids running to their sailors. One video was of a daddy who walked into his daughter’s classroom and she was stunned! - and then leaped into his arms. Joyous reunions among the joyous songs.
Joy-filled reunions. There is the bible story we all know about the prodigal son who finally came home and his father running down the road to welcome him back home. There was also the story of the lost sheep and how the shepherd rejoiced and celebrated when he found it.
Sometimes we also lose our way, we get separated from God for whatever reason. We go our own way and end up in a place and set of circumstances which keep us away. God will always welcome us back when we return, when we see where and how we are, and turn back to him. He is always there, waiting with open arms, welcoming us back with great joy. Sometimes he will send a messenger to try to point us in the right direction. It may be a family member, friend, a minister, or even a stranger we just “accidently” run into one day. Sometimes it may even be a movie, TV program or a book that catches our attention. Whatever it takes, in whatever form, God is waiting for us and he wants us to return to him. And then there is that final welcoming, when we leave this life behind and join him for eternity.
How about you? Hopefully, you are one of those who have followed him throughout your life and know you will be welcomed home. If, on the other hand, you are one of the lost sheep, then you need to stop and hear the call and return to his earthly home, whether a church or elsewhere, so you can be ready for that final welcoming. Take a look at yourself and see where you are, and fit yourself into his plans. You can do it. Happy Homecoming!
