“You Can’t Go Home Again.” That novel by Thomas Wolfe has also become a common phrase in today’s society.  It is a phrase that may or may not be true depending on how you interpret it.  You see, a little over a year ago, I moved back to the area that I grew up in. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York and in 1996, I moved away from that area.  I remember the eagerness to begin my new life as I drove away from the area that evening.  I also remember thinking; “I will never be back here to live.”

However, I have found another popular saying to be true.  What is that saying?  “Never say never!”  God has a way of putting you right where He wants you and it turned out, at least for right now, He wants me “home”.  Now, I really could not go home again.  My dad passed away in 1996 and my mom would later follow him to Heaven in 2003.  The house I grew up in is long sold, the company that I worked for for a number of years is now sold and many of my favorite restaurants and hangouts in the area have been closed or are no longer there.  However, I must admit that I have enjoyed being in the area again.

However, today I pose a much more important question. How is your relationship with Christ?  Are you living the life that He has planned for you?  Are you living in the center of God’s Will?  That is what Christ desires for you! God’s Will is a tough thing to find sometimes!  Oh, there are many verses in the Bible that tell you exact things that are God’s Will.  An example might be 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” However, God’s Will for your life is not always spelled out in chapter and verse in the Bible.  For example, there was no verse in the Bible that said “Scott, move to Pennsylvania.”  However, there is no doubt in my mind that for that period of time in my life, it was God’s Will for my life.  It is through much prayer and meditation that you seek and eventually find God’s Will for your life.

So, how is your relationship with Christ?  Perhaps it is not quite right and you think you cannot go home to Christ again.  Many times in my life I have thought the same thing.  I really have thought at times that perhaps I had done something and this time God might not take me back.  However, I am here to tell you that God’s mercy and grace knows no limits.  As humans, we are going to need that mercy and grace every single day of our lives.  Some very familiar verses in 1 John chapter one say “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God wants to forgive you and He is waiting right now with open arms to welcome you back home again.

So, you see, the statement is true, you CAN go home again!  Jesus made sure of that on the Cross!