Ever receive a gift so spot-on it takes your breath away? For me it wasn’t a prized possession or even a priceless heirloom, but two candles branded “homesick”, simple and symbolic.

Even the most beautiful candles don’t usually have the ability to produce such an emotion or transcend one back in time. But immediately I was taken by these two, one representing Washington State and the other Seattle. Sent from our son, who we’d moved away from two years ago, I marveled at his perception and clever gift giving.

I was certainly fine before this. But now my heart had been pricked and what began to flow was something big that apparently was stuffed pretty deep. I missed what once was. But what flowed out was a ‘stranger on earth’ kind of homesickness, reminding me I was pieces in a puzzle that didn’t fit no matter how hard I pressed. So, as I counted my blessings, one after the other, I remembered the beautiful ways God brought comfort and meaning in the struggle.

If you’ve ever felt this --- like a stranger in our fallen culture or have had to transition to any kind of newness, you know all too well that your beliefs and missing the familiar can prick your heart into feeling homesick. Family, friends, co-workers, beautiful places and times you love --- all sit in your library of treasured memories.

With more room in our libraries, my husband and I firmly decided we would follow God’s leading, search for a good fit in a church home, and look at it all as an adventure before moving here for a job transfer.

We also knew we were in God’s Hands whether we were in Washington State or Pennsylvania.

Still we were not prepared for the delightful surprises awaiting us far beyond what we could’ve imagined.

It started off when I first saw the endearing landscape of Soergel’s Orchards sharing the hill with Orchard Hill Church. It profoundly resembled the familiar apple and pear orchard hill I grew up working on. Then on a hot day in August a not-so-coincidental meeting of two friendly Orchard Hill leaders invited us to rotate into their pickle ball game without knowing we both attended the same church.

This soon led to an invitation to usher. Sitting down at the first usher meeting, I was right next to someone born at the same hospital in the same small town in eastern Washington. That is only something God can do! It was confirmed. I was no longer a stranger. Fellowship was found through God’s tender care of His servants.

The warm welcoming leadership, great teaching and extraordinary talented music teams made the decision to make Orchard Hill our home church an easy one. Since that first day, music worship time makes it easy to be taken to a place of unexplained peace. When it doesn’t matter what state you’re residing in, what you’ve done or where you came from. In those delightful moments of glorious worship in complete surrender, it is like coming home after a long journey. In this spiritual home state, there is no struggle, no fear or heartbreak. And that deep inner part of us no longer longs for something to be fixed, satisfied or made well from homesickness.

In Matthew 25:35-45 when Jesus spoke parables to his disciples, he speaks of inviting a stranger in. Inviting a stranger in is listed in such an order of importance, that it is almost as essential as helping those needing food and drink.

Our feeling strange on earth is real and common place. But if we press on in prayer, fellowship and worship, it can be overcome.

We can also take comfort in knowing that even Abraham, Job and David all felt surrounded by those who considered them strangers. In Hebrews 11:9-10, it says of Abraham “By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country;” … “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God”.

The writer said it well about Abraham who by faith knew he was a stranger and that his true and perfect home was still coming. So, if Abraham knew these things, we can also take hope as believers to look forward to the same perfect home. Where the pieces of our puzzle will finally delightfully fit. And our homesickness will no longer matter.