Kenzie snapped one last picture of the Eiffel Tower. "It's so beautiful against the sunset!" She sighed. "I can't believe this is our last night here."
"I know," Mom said. "Though I'm actually excited to be going home."
"But this has been the best vacation ever," said Kenzie's sister, Aubrey. "I'm going to miss Paris."
"All right, everyone," Dad said. "It's getting late. We'd better head back to the hotel to eat our last dinner here in France."
Kenzie turned to follow him and accidentally bumped into a man with a touring cap and backpack. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said. The man glanced at her, said something in French, and moved past them. Kenzie giggled quietly. "You know what I'm looking forward to about going home? Being able to speak the language. I can't understand what French people say--and they can't understand me!"
"Yeah," Aubrey said. "We really don't fit in here, do we?"
"I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again," Mom said.
"And not living out of a suitcase anymore," Dad chimed in.
"Sounds like we all agree," said Aubrey. "Paris is great, but it's not home."
When they reached their hotel, they got a table at the restaurant downstairs. "You know what?" Dad said. "Our conversation earlier reminded me of something. Just like we're visitors here in France, the Bible says that Christians are visitors in the world. Our real citizenship is in heaven, not here on earth."
"That makes sense," Aubrey said.
"We don't always fit in here on earth because we're living for a different world," Dad went on. "We have different values and priorities because we're citizens of God's kingdom."
"And someday He'll bring us there, right?" asked Kenzie.
Dad nodded. "When Jesus returns and makes everything new, we'll live with Him in His heavenly kingdom forever. But we're also living as citizens of His kingdom now. Jesus saved us from sin and made us His people so we can experience the joy of knowing Him and let others know they can have an eternal home with Him too."
Kenzie nodded. "I'm excited to go home to America, but I'm even more excited for my eternal home!"
–Lucy Alessio
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in here in this world? Do you find the things that other people think are most important are not what bring joy and meaning to your life? The Bible tells us that, as Christians, we’re just travelers here on earth. Our citizenship—our true home—is with Jesus. Don’t be afraid to live differently in this world, knowing that heaven is where you truly belong.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Philippians 3:20 (KJV)
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)