God's Glory Church

“How lonely this once populous city sits.” — Lamentations 1:1

My brothers and I spent the whole day helping our parents remove things and furniture from the old house where we spent our childhood. In the evening, we arrived there for the last time and took pictures on the porch. And then my mother turned to me and said: “That’s it. There’s nothing left.” It completely derailed me; I could hardly hold back my tears. The house that held fifty-four years of memories was emptied. I try not to think about it.

My feelings resonate with the first words of Jeremiah’s book of Lamentations: “How lonely this once-crowded city sits” (Lamentations 1:1). However, there is an important difference: Jerusalem was devastated “because of the multitude of sins” (v. 5). God exiled His people to Babylon because the Israelites rebelled against Him and did not want to repent (v. 18). And my parents did not move because of sins… But since the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, the health of each person gradually fades. As we age, we move into houses or apartments that are easier to maintain.

I am grateful for the memories that made our humble home special. Pain is the price of love. I know that the next farewell will not be to my parents’ house, but to them. And this makes me want to cry. I ask the Lord to come as soon as possible, put an end to separations and create everything new. My hope is in Him.

What place do you hold dear memories of? Thank God for the people who loved you there. How can you make new memories?

Heavenly Father, thank you for the eternal home you have prepared for me.

Author: Mike Whittmer