The older I get, the more nostalgic I get. My fondest memories are of the home in which I grew up on 25th & Himebaugh in North Omaha. It was far from luxurious, but it was comfortable, and the five of us fit very well there. Mom and Dad had their chairs in the living room and at the dinner table. We would never even think about sitting in their chairs. We respected their places. We three kids all had our places, too, and we were happy with them. I heard my mother and father say many times, “There’s no place like home.” Mom even had a plaque on the wall that said that. It was “home, sweet home” for all of us.
It’s that way with Kathy and me in our home. We are very comfortable in our home. We don’t have to perform for anyone! We don’t have to impress anyone! We can really be ourselves. After 54 years together, we are really comfortable together in our home. The boys come over when they want to and bring the grandkids. We’ll fix dinner, have a game night, and laugh a lot. We’re pretty comfortable with our lives now. Whenever we are away from home, even for just a night, we’re always glad when we get home. It’s where we are most comfortable. When Paul says, In Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…with thankfulness in your hearts,” he means it should be “at home” with us. That’s what the word “dwell” means. Christ’s word should walk in, sit down in the den, put its feet up on the coffee table, and we should feel comfortable with it. It is not a stranger but a part of the family. It should have access to every room in my house.
I remember the first time we invited the “Word of Christ” into our home. It took quite an adjustment. I wasn’t quite as comfortable with it as Kathy was. She was raised with it as part of her life. I was raised to view it as something that belonged only to ordained clergy. But here it was. It wanted my attention. It had certain expectations that I wasn’t accustomed to. It felt strange at first, but now, after many years of living together, I’m at home with the Bible, God’s Word. C. S. Lewis once made a great observation about fish. He asked if the fish were uncomfortable being wet. If they were, wouldn’t that indicate they weren’t at home in the sea? I would translate the passage, “Let the word of Christ be at home with you richly…”