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

I remember the day my sister walked into my office and said that Jerry had passed away the night before. Jerry was my biological father. I have not seen Jerry since I was 16 years old, over forty years ago, and at that time it was only for ten minutes. Our meeting prior to that was when I was 13. Yes, I can still remember the night he walked away from his wife and two children when I was ten. I remember what little effort he made to see me when I was young, and as a result how neither of us made much effort as I grew older. As time passed life moved on. Did he miss me? Did I miss him? Somehow, more than anything, I think

We Missed What Could Have Been. 

I kept up a bit with his life through my Aunt, his sister, but that was not necessarily easy for her either because Jerry chose a lonely road in life, walking away from a string of marriages and shutting out those who tried to love him. For that my heart breaks. And yet today let me be the last one who would ever pass judgment this man’s life who made my life possible. I’ve seen first hand how so many times this life can be a long road filled with circumstances that can batter and shatter you like waves on rocky shore. We live in a world with few safe harbors from mistaken choices we make or broken roads we chose to walk. In reality there is only one true safe harbor and His name is Jesus. For as Philippians says, our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. Today I rejoice for I know that when Jerry was a very young man he accepted Christ as his Savior. Before life’s storms had battered his life, he chose Christ. No matter what other mistakes he made in life, that one ultimate correct choice was made. In the grand scheme of things, nothing else matters. For today Jerry is a new creation. Old things are passed away and behold all things have truly become new for him. As he entered heaven I actually got my father back and I can’t wait to one day see him again! For today he stands before Jesus as a citizen of heaven, and Jesus his savior is wrapping his loving arms around him with two words on his lips, Welcome Home! Do you know Jesus? This Jesus of forgiveness. No matter what mistakes you’ve made in life, today you can make the only choice in life that will ever really matter. Say yes to Jesus as your Savior.