Acts 7:55 “But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'”
There are certain times of the year that just beg for you to come home, grab a hot cup of tea or cider, and sit by the fire. The brilliant autumn leaves, the cooler temperatures, and the darkening nights just lend themselves to cozy evenings with family and friends.
Dad and I have always made it a habit to take evening walks. We started after we got married when we didn’t have much money and only a small apartment. Every night in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, we would put on our tennis shoes and make our circuit around the town. Sometimes we grabbed an ice-cream cone at the local dairy store and other times we would stop at the local library and browse through the latest magazines and books. But most often we would just talk and dream about the years ahead.
After having you children and moving to our country home in Ohio we continued to take these regular evening walks. The view is so much different here than in our suburban town in the East, but the enjoyment is the same. Recently we started out as the sun was setting behind the trees. By the time we completed our loop, the evening shadows had deepened and the air had gotten a little cooler. As we stepped it up on the final stretch I could see the front porch lights flickering in the distance and the warm glow of the girl’s bedroom light shining through the window. The lights of home called to me out of the darkness and I longed for the safety and warmth that was waiting there.
For the Christian this world we live in is not our real home. We are only strangers passing through on our way to our Father’s heavenly mansion. Though there are many enjoyable miles that we walk while living down here, there are times when life seems dark and cold. Friends fail us, bills pile up, illness threatens, pressure builds, and age catches up. These are the times when we must focus our eyes on the lights of home.
Stephen, a strong man of God, walked through one of these dark nights. Though he was full of grace and performed powerful wonders and signs which pointed people to God, there were some men who found fault with him. These conspirators stirred up the people against Stephen. They brought false witnesses to testify against him, and, after rejecting his defense, they decided to stone him to death.
In this tragic time Stephen gained solace by gazing intently into heaven. There he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. The lights of home beckoned him, and when he took his dying breath he stepped into his true home, heaven, where there is no night, no pain, and no tears.
Dad and I have walked hundreds of miles together in the past twenty-five years and I hope there will be many more to come. But I know that when the sun starts to set we will both do what we have always done when a blanket of darkness has enveloped our world. We will focus our eyes on the lights of home. We will walk a little faster until we reach the open door where the light of our Lord’s presence will welcome us home.
Love,
Mama
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