We were the very next passengers to board our flight from Atlanta back home.

Mama handed her boarding pass to the attendant, but before he could grasp it, a woman with a voice from Home appeared out of nowhere shouting, Cindy! Is that you???

Mama retracted her ticket, stopping the entire boarding process as she turned full-body to hug her friend.

Visiting ensued, as if 100 waiting passengers weren’t looking on…

I pleaded with my 60-year-old mother, Mama, we’ve got to board the plane now…People are waiting…

But Mama was enraptured in a southern hello that can last several minutes.

I half-dragged her as she and her friend floated backwards together down the corridor, chatting about serving in Haiti and the suffering there, and bless their hearts, and oh how they wanted to bring the children home with them.

On the plane, southern accents filled the cabin like a warm Gulf breeze.

Just then an announcement was made that we had a “very special guest” on board.

It was a young girl having a birthday. Without even being cued, the bus with wings burst into song, Happy Birthday for the tiny sojourner as she blushed thanks.

Home welcomes us, even while we’re still on our way.

I closed my eyes while we sailed over tense flatland that finally relaxed into familiar hills, remembering the weekend with my family.

Sunday had been a fellowship partly in mom’s honor, where everyone circulated like a dance, hugging and remembering, explosions of laughter throughout the banquet hall.

Food and drink overflowed to family and strangers alike because Grandma Jennie Belle had invited every breathing thing in her path.

It was Heaven on earth, and it whets my thirst for the Someday when Jesus will break our hearts by serving us when we arrive.

Blessed are those servants whom the Master finds awake when He comes. I guarantee you this: He will change His clothes, make them sit down at the table, and serve them.

~ Jesus

{Luke 12:37}

I can’t even take that in.

I’ll be tempted like Peter to jump to my feet shouting Never, Lord! but I’ll try to keep my seat and not ugly cry as the One who is Love shows me how it’s done.

Almost everyone weeps at Jesus’ astonishing kindness. It’s overwhelming.

But don’t you realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to turn away from sin?

~ Romans 2:4

The hospitality of Heaven is my favorite thing about the South. Tim Chester has said, Jesus didn’t run projects, establish ministries, create programs, or put on events. He ate meals. 

Near Home, we finally bounced down the runway and everyone stood, filing off quickly and obediently.

Everyone except Mama.

I looked behind me to see a half-empty plane, with Mama and her beautiful friend hugging, promising to visit once they were back Home.

I motioned for Mama to hurry, which earned me a good scolding, because goodbyes are sacred here.

The Cult of Arrogance has tried its best to invade the South with distracting government circuses and tensions that exist only within small evil samples of America but in no way represent us all.

But our slow traditions hold, because nearly every week you’ll hear someone pray Our Father…on earth as it is in Heaven.

That’s the definition of hospitality.

Heaven on earth means Home finds us wherever we are with Love that ignores everything else to hug a friend for as long as it takes.

I suspect when we arrive safely in Beulah Land, the Lord Jesus will wrap His arms around us in a Welcome Home hug as our life on earth melts away in heaving, wordless sobs, holding us for as long as it takes.

And then we’ll eat, because that’s what you do when you’re finally Home.

He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes, and there won’t be any more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. And then the One seated on the throne said, ‘Look! I Am making everything new!’

~ Revelation 21:4-5

~ Sweet Beulah Land ~

Beulah Land, I’m longing for you
And some day on thee I’ll stand
And there my home shall be eternal
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land…