The Torch Keepers || the Home

 

((giveaway winners announced below!))

"My child." He blinked several times, and his eyes glistened. "I have come to take you home."

"Home?" My shoulders fell, and I felt the heat of the scar that stained my skin. If only I could hide it, could keep him from seeing the twisted mark.

He pushed back the hair hanging around my face. "Come, child. I have searched the kingdom these years and found you. Come home with me..." 

My lips quivered. "I don't want to go back..."

Father didn't speak. His fingers squeezed my hand tighter. 

I spat out the words. "I have purpose here. I have friends. I won't live under the King's overruling ways that limit me to be nice and good like everyone else. Sometimes we're not perfect!"

"My child, I never asked you to be."

I jerked away from him. Inhaling, I caught myself from stumbling backwards, forced my face to hold together.

"I don't ask you to be perfect." The light reflecting on his face burned mine as his eyes searched deep. His voice lowered to a whisper like a breeze through the mountain trees--the trees I missed. "I ask you to come home."

// chapter 23

 

The Bible is all about Home, and I love that! It begins in a garden home, and when that reality is ruined by human mistakes, He promises a forever Home to His people, Israel. (Gen. 12)

They enter their land, leave, enter, leave. Sometimes, when they're in that chosen land, there are invaders that dictate their lives. Other times, they're dragged away into foreign lands, their nation destroyed. And it's because of their unfaithfulness, their willful hearts.

Yet God's promise remains.

Home.

A physical place where we can be free. Where we can curl up with a blanket and sit in quiet with people we love. Where we can be safe and laugh free and dance or sing sometimes too.

But the best: Home is where our Father is.

The One who loves us forever. Who knows all of us. Who can't wait to hold us and be near us and live with us.

That's home.

I invite you to imagine. Picture your dream house.

Mine would a cabin in a forest glen with wildflowers all around and a creek that you can hear every night as you go to sleep. There'd be a porch with a swing to watch the sky and clouds and fireflies. And inside, I imagine a fireplace and cozy rug.

But I write fantasy, so I have other dreams too. Maybe I could have a huge oak growing in my house, the trunk part of my wall, and there'd be a stream inside too and bunnies that could slip in and out of the house, cuddle at my feet. We could sleep in hammocks and climb trees and ride horses and write stories and have parties and be with Jesus.

The New Earth, that Home Jesus is making for us, it's so much grander than even my dreams. But hey, I'll keep dreaming! Keep imagining. Keep living for that Kingdom and the Father who invites me there.

Not because I'm more faithful or less willful than Israel. My heart mirrors their story. I need a Helper.

And yet, there's this Savior who arose out of Israel to save His people, and He adopts us into that family.

So I embrace what He has done. And I dream of Home, when Israel is restored on that New Earth, and we can be with God, loved.

That's why the story excerpt is one of my favorites! And I challenge you, like Kadira, come home.

Come to the Father's heart. Be with Him. Give yourself to Him.

And let Him take you Home.

Did you know Kadira's name wasn't originally going to be... Kadira?

Yup. In the first short story, she was named Elkira. (ahh, isn't it beautiful?!)

Then readers told me how they remembered her name. "It sounds like Erika!" One said.

Problem: that was not the feel I was going for in a fantastical world of Torch Keepers and flame-wings and armies clashing, loyalties undecided. Erika? Not exactly. Much too modern.

So Kadira was renamed, and I've loved her name ever since. And if you read her story, you'll find out she has another name-change in the text. But that's for you to discover. *wink*

And I'm especially excited if you were one of the winners of the giveaway!

I was thrilled to have a giveaway on here and on my Instagram last week! And now for the winners!

first place:

 

                        // Rebekah A 

 

second, third, and forth place:

                        // Anita S 

                        // Caroline R

                        // Grace L

Horray!! If you were selected, I'll be contacting you soon about how to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone who celebrated The Torch Keepers' second birthday celebration! May we both live for our Home and the Father who draws us near. *hugs*

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God."

- Revelation 21:3

~♥~