The golden sunlight grows mellow, things seem to slow down, a slight drop in temperature reminds all creatures that we are deep into autumn. Even the “buzz” of sleepy insects seems to be in low gear. Evening is at hand night can’t be far behind. Far from the barn we have traveled, widely we have roamed just “to see what we can see.” Life has taken us places we never thought to go. We have experienced “portions” of human existence that caused us to rejoice, and morn. We have believed and despaired (sometimes in a few hours time!) Once excited by our independence we now find that the thought of “reassembling” feels somehow very right! We began this journey like young birds on their first flight: God, our Father, eased us out from under his wing. We come from God, he was, in the beginning, our “launch pad.” We started here empowered by his gracious love. Along the way some of us grew very independent, feeling as if we were “ok” to manage this trip alone. We have learned, if nothing else, that we are unable to provide our own security. Money comes and goes and anyway: dollars cannot prevent time and tragedy from catching up to each of us at last! Love, that is human love as in a spouse, is wonderful but like a warm fire on a cold night it burns out (or at least burns down to embers) at last. Health, that starting point of all human pleasure, is a “passing gift”: it is never permanent. We are on a journey (life) that requires us to burn ourselves as fuel! We burn youth, vigor, finances, dreams and in a last effort to travel on another minute or two , we give up our last breath. Relationships fade and skills degrade and at last we turn “homeward.” Home where the heart is. Home where love does not fade like morning mist. Home where, in Christ, those who have preceded us are waiting. Home, inside God’s warm, sheltering love. It’s the place we all want to be. On the golden-brown autumn hills of life’s summit we pause (sooner or later) and look toward God—home. It is not at all sad to turn towards that eternal warmth and security! No! It’s just this moment we have been searching for all our lives! Let us enjoy each step on the homeward journey, let us drink deeply of every dawn and each golden sunset. “At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark.”  I’m almost ready for the “Barn”!  I can feel the sweet security and almost touch the abiding peace. May God guide and protect us on our “Homecoming journey”.