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My Home is in Heaven by Dr. Greg Mattson

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“ My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” – Billy Graham.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”                                                                  Philippians 3:20-21

You have probably heard it said that nothing is certain in this world except death and taxes.  I will come right out with it.  I am turning 60 years old this year and I must admit that I have mixed emotions about it.  Turning 50 didn’t bother me but turning 60 feels different. The average American male lives to 78.74 years of age.  That means on average I have 18.74 years left on this planet.  Up to this point, I‘ve never really contemplated my own mortality which may seem a little strange being a physician who is faced with life-and-death issues on a daily basis.  I struggle with the thought of leaving my loved ones and the things I love, like fishing and friends, but yet believing by faith that Heaven is infinitely better.

I came to Osceola to work as a Family physician at the age of 35.  I was the youngest physician there, often hearing I was just a kid.  Now 25 years later I find myself the oldest family physician at Osceola.  The babies I delivered over the years are going off to college and are now even having babies of their own.  I have lost many people I considered good friends to heart disease, dementia, strokes and cancer.  I had one elderly female look at me and tell me “Life is like a roll of toilet paper.  The closer you get to the end the faster it goes!” I’m left hoping that God gave me the extra-large roll since I have a lot of things I still want to accomplish, such as seeing my grandsons grow to be Godly men and seeing my children get married.

Last week I woke up to the headlines that Billy Graham had passed away at age 99.  I told Cory that they had it all wrong.  He isn’t dead but has just gone home to be with Jesus.  Welcome home good and faithful servant!  Pastor Graham remained focused on bringing the Gospel to the world his entire life.  God used him to touch many people’s lives.  He wasn’t focused on this world but understood that his home was in Heaven.  He also understood the truth that hell is a real place that will be a home for many.  He spent his entire life preaching the good news of eternal life through belief in Jesus Christ hoping that all would be saved.

In the end I know age is relative.  I have heard it said that 60 is the new 40 but I don’t see many 40 year olds rushing towards hip and knee replacements, nor do I see 40 year olds spending much time thinking about their own mortality.  Many of you reading this are younger than me and many are older but we are all on this road of life together.  Our lives are not our own.  Every breath and heart beat come from God himself.  I am thankful that I am not in control of my life nor do I know the hours that I have left on this earth.  But I rest assured that my citizenship is in heaven and there is no wall that prevents my entrance since Jesus took care of that.  And that is something I will cling to with every advancing year.

“May all my days bring glory to your name”

In Christ,
Greg

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