Almost exactly three years ago, my wife and I purchased our perfect home.

We had always dreamed of living on a lake someday, but didn’t seriously consider it could ever happen.  Yet, as I type this post, I can look out the window in my home office and see Shamrock Lake just over 70 feet from our back door.  (And just over 40 feet from our large “game room” back window!)

From either of those windows, I can also see our dock.  (And literally just a moment ago I witnessed a monster bass leap out of the water not 10 feet in front of that dock!  It makes me seriously consider postponing the writing of this post and casting a few lures instead.)

But that’s one of the reasons this is our “perfect home.”  Virtually every day I see bass leaping and fish surfacing in the water.  And if I have the time and inclination, I can walk out my back door and be fishing in minutes. 

The lake is also a huge draw to waterfowl.  Canada geese (in large flocks), ducks (a great variety), as well as loons, cormorants, blue heron, osprey and even bald eagles are commonly seen on or over the water.

Turtles abound, of course.  And one day I walked out the back door to discover a huge water snake resting on our back lawn.  (One of the less appealing appearances!)

There’s no shortage of mammals to view either. Virtually every evening a muskrat swims under our dock.  Gray squirrels of all different color schemes, ground squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits are prolific. I’ve also seen a few woodchucks waddle across the back yard.  Deer are all around the area, but don’t tend to reach our yard too often.  (Which is beneficial for our flower beds.)

Cardinals, blue jays, finches, grosbeaks, chickadees and various woodpeckers are regularly spotted at our bird feeder.  In the summer, Orioles swoop in to enjoy the grape jelly in the special feeder for them

It’s a wildlife mecca.  Yet we are inside city limits, and only a few miles from virtually any resource (shopping, dining, health, entertainment, and etc.) we might need.

As for the house itself, it’s a spacious one-level, ranch style layout, with only a few steps to navigate.  A blessing now to our elderly parents when they visit, and undoubtedly a blessing someday to my wife and me as we age.

There is a roomy garage that my wife can park inside during the winter, and where I can take on various woodworking projects, as well as clean fish and process venison.

The best feature of all from my point of view has already been mentioned: the lakeview windows.  But they aren’t just in my office and our game room.  All along the north side of the house – the side facing the lake – are large picture windows offering exceptional views of the water.  I’m convinced the views do wonders for my state of mind.  (The cover picture of this post is taken from the dock behind our house.)

Plus I built a backyard patio and a smaller lakeside patio that provide lovely lake views.  The back patio contains a picnic table and the lakeside one a gliding bench and additional chairs.  We love to sit outside when time and weather allows.

Perhaps the best feature of all from my wife’s point of view is the gas fireplace in our living room.  Turn a nob and real flames appear.  She loves to sit close to it and soak in the warmth during the cold and windy winter evenings here in central Michigan.

Oh, and one more thing.  In our new home we are just hours away from our parents, many siblings and their families, as well as some of our children and grandchildren … instead of living clear across the continent from them.  (Though now unfortunately we are 2000 miles away from other children.)

One other interesting sidenote: My wife and I greatly enjoy travelling.  We have family and friends scattered around the country, and we love visiting them as well as seeing new sights.  But a strange thing has been happening lately to my perspective – I find myself less inclined to leave here.  I am more and more content to just stay home … because it feels so comfortable and right.  It feels like “home.”

It’s crucial that I make a few significant points here.

First, I am not going on-and-on about our perfect house because I am proud, haughty or arrogant.  Quite the contrary!  I am absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude to God.  I know full well that our house is entirely a gift from him; it has nothing to do with my wife and me.  Which is why there is literally not a day when I don’t utter a sincere prayer of thanks to the God who gave it to us.

Secondly, I did not accept the call to come and serve the two congregations I shepherd now in order to secure the house we had always been dreaming of.  Rather, I accepted the call because I was convinced it was where God wanted me/us to be for ministry … and then the Lord provided our new home.  Which tells me that this is indeed where we need to be at the moment.

Finally, while a lot of words have been used on my earthly home, this post is NOT about my earthly home.  It’s about our heavenly one!

Here’s the reality: our earthly house is actually not perfect.  Before we even moved, my wife and I had to put a lot of money into the building.  It needed a great deal of attention.  (Also, a member of one of our local congregations was instrumental in assisting us on many projects.)  After we arrived, we’ve done even more.  And there is much more still to do!  In fact, we’ll never get everything done.  And the cold reality is that someday we will leave our house behind. 

Therefore, it will never truly be a “perfect home.”  But heaven is!

We can’t even begin to comprehend that truly perfect home … because we can’t even begin to comprehend perfection.  Yet that’s what awaits us in heaven.  Absolute perfection.

Try to imagine the view there.  The crucified (for us!) and risen back to life Lord Jesus, consumed in glory, (Rev. 21:23), and surrounded by countless angels and innumerable believers from every part of the world and portion of history worshipping him.  Every soul around that throne recognizing that the only reason they are there is because of the Lamb who was slain for them. (Rev. 7:9-14). 

And the layout is absolutely ideal.  Not only in regard to efficiency and ease, but in regard to aesthetics.  No inconveniences there!  Gorgeous beauty!

John was given a vision of that sacred place and describes it in this way: “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. … The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.” (Revelation 21:18-21).  Whether that’s a literal or figurative description, it’s clear that it is a place of exquisite splendor.

Furthermore, it’s a place of complete and unending comfort.  In his vision, John is informed that those there are experiencing eternally the promises God gave through the prophet Isaiah:

“They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” (Revelation 7:15-17).

As for family and friends, the Lord keeps adding to the number waiting to greet us into that sacred place one day!  Everyone whose faith and trust is centered on Jesus and everything he accomplished as our holy Substitute end up before Jesus’ heavenly throne and become a part of our welcoming party when the Lord calls us home to him.

“Only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isaiah 35:9-10).

What an incredible home the Lord has waiting for us who are his!  And that’s the point.  Heaven really is our perfect home.  And it really and truly is perfect! 

No flaws.  No problems.  No discomfort.  Only complete peace and joy forever in the very presence of our God.

Which is why we’ll never want to leave that place once we arrive.  And, thanks be to God, we’ll never have to.  (Heb. 13:14).