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The One Who Loves You Is Always Waiting for You to Come Home
Kids returning home late dread parental scolding, husbands coming home late are weary of a nagging wife. Yet, whether through scolding or nagging, what’s truly being expressed is the call for a loved one to come home—a hidden, unwavering love behind it all. While conflicts between those waiting and those returning home late are unavoidable, the beautiful ending can’t be destroyed by temporary disagreements.
Having lived single for a long time, I was accustomed to a flexible schedule without being mindful of others. After having a child, my mother-in-law helped care for the baby, occasionally allowing my husband and me to stay out late. One evening, returning late, we opened the door to our eleven-month-old son, who still couldn’t speak clearly and only stood while holding onto furniture. Yet, he loudly expressed his frustration towards us, clearly showing us how eagerly he had been awaiting our return. At that moment, I deeply felt the warmth of having a home to return to—a home where returning isn’t just a duty or obligation but a privilege to enjoy love.
Before marriage, I had a student who worked as a journalist, married to a doctor. It seemed they had limited opportunities to have dinner together, but she shared that no matter how late her husband returned, the whole family waited to have dinner with him. She required her children to immediately offer slippers, tea, and the newspaper to their dad upon his arrival. At the time, I wondered, “Why such trouble? Everyone has their own life; why sacrifice the family’s routine for just one person?” After marriage, through my husband’s example, I realized she gave her husband the right to enjoy being loved at home while gently reminding him of his responsibilities and obligations.
Older adults and children tend to get hungry earlier, making it hard to wait, so our family typically has dinner around 4:30 or 5:00 pm. Occasionally, I’d finish work around 6:30 pm, and though my husband would first feed our son, he would always wait for me to eat dinner together. Initially, I kept rationally persuading him not to wait, but through his actions, I understood his determination. This made me finally grasp my student’s earlier insistence. Because of my husband’s persistence, my misunderstandings about him gradually faded away. His disciplined, military background often made me—a literature graduate—uncomfortable, especially when deep in thought, unable to accept his structured ways. I used to suffer from feeling misunderstood, yet his patiently waiting for my return home helped resolve the crisis of imperfect love.
“Returning home” can seem insignificant for someone who always has a home to go back to, causing them to overlook the value of what they already have. But for someone who doesn’t know where home is or who has been wandering, home is the warmth they deeply long for. The lost son recorded in the Bible, who spent all he had, finally chose to return home, disregarding others’ judgments or the hardship he might face because he realized the love at home was unmatched anywhere else. (Luke 15:11-24) Even having all the world’s wealth couldn’t substitute for the unique, belonging love of home.
Perhaps you’ve also wandered alone or once had a home. Yet between loving and being loved, between wandering and possessing, something feels inexplicably incomplete. Even when mustering courage, you can’t grasp the direction clearly, making your loss hard to release. Many feel they’ve found home upon hearing the gospel but are pulled back the next moment by their stubbornness, comparing the earthly home they know with the home established by God. Due to disappointments in their worldly homes, they linger uncertainly at the gospel’s threshold. But remember, Jesus gently invites us: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Yet through continued seeking, they will surely find the right direction for life in the gospel. The home God builds is eternally secure in heaven—a truly everlasting home. Why? Because God is self-existing, eternal, and God is love itself. A home built with truth and eternal love is incomparable to any earthly home. This home is prepared for those created by God. Knock, and the home’s owner—God—will surely open the door for you, as this is His promise. Indeed, the Scripture reassures us: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) May you come home!
We warmly welcome you to our upcoming Spring 2025 Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation (ESSC). You can also join us for the Spring 2025 ESSC via online streaming.
Thursday, April 17, 2025 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, April 18-19, 2025 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, April 20, 2025 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Please find our church location below:
True Jesus Church
4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
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In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.
Friday Evening Service: 7:50PM – 9:00PM
Saturday Morning Service: 10:50AM – 12:00Noon
Saturday Afternoon Service: 1:30PM – 2:40PM
Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org