Living in Tents

2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:10

I have not camped out in a tent in nearly a decade. I've enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I'm made for it. I like to look up at the stars at night and not have them hidden by the city lights. The pace of life can be refreshing, while we're camping. We often get to see wildlife that we don't normally experience in town. Still, most things are more difficult when we live in a tent. It's harder to find water and harder to cook – we even have to carry the stove with us. It's a bit unsettling to live out of duffle bag. And we're so susceptible to the weather when we're living in tents. We have to be so careful, so we don't leave food or trash in places that attract bears or raccoons or other friends of theirs.

In some ways, the challenges are what make us enjoy tenting. It's just fun and refreshing to do life differently, to rough it for a few days. But even after a great camping trip – with no rain and comfortable temperatures – it feels so good to come home, turn on the water from the faucet (and even get hot water right away!), put the duffle bag away and use the dresser, and sleep in our own bed. For most of us, tenting reveals that we were made for home. As good as our camping trips are, home is where we belong.

Paul tells us in today's reading that our lives on earth are camping trips. There are rich experiences for us here, and there are difficult circumstances. And, although God can use all of those situations for our growth and benefit, we were made not for this short trip in the tent, but for an eternal stay in a home we were designed to live in and enjoy. We make the most of this tenting trip, because we want to glorify God here. But we live in this tent knowing that when this camping trip comes to a close, we're really going home.