We Feel Homesick
Have you ever been on a lovely vacation and experienced the conflicting emotions of “I could stay here forever!” and “I can’t wait to get home”? As much as I sometimes long to get out of the city and have a break from my responsibilities, whenever I do, I’m soon reminded that there really is no place like home.
The strange thing is that sometimes I get this feeling of homesickness even when I’m at home. When things happening in the world weigh heavy on my mind and heart, I can become restless. I get this sense that I’m somewhere I don’t belong, and I long for wherever it is I should be.
English needs a word for this type of homesickness. The German word fernweh represents the longing to travel and explore unknown and far-away places (sort of the next level of “wanderlust,” which is more simply a passion for travel), but it doesn’t quite describe what I’m talking about. The Welsh word hiraeth comes a bit closer. It conveys deep homesickness for a place, a sense of belonging, or an emotional attachment to one’s roots or heritage. And yet that’s not it either. The wanderlust in my soul is not for any place here on earth. And, trust me, I am not fantasizing about zipping through space to visit the moon or Mars.
We may not have a dictionary word for it, but C.S. Lewis understood what I am talking about. In Mere Christianity he wrote: “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world,” and he was not referring to Narnia (although The Chronicles of Narnia beautifully illustrates the longing to return to one’s true and eternal home).
King David also knew a thing or two about deep soul cravings, and he knew where to turn to have them satisfied. In Psalm 107, he wrote: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. . . for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Ps.107:1,9)
In his book Pensées (Thoughts), the French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal explored the human longing for meaning, fulfillment, and happiness. He suggested there is a fundamental void within every person that can only be filled by a relationship with God, that human beings have a deep innate desire for something beyond themselves, and attempts to fill this void with worldly pursuits or material possessions ultimately leave us unsatisfied.
If that’s true (and I believe it is), it makes sense that we feel homesick for a place that seems out of reach. The good news is that it’s not (out of reach, that is). If you’re a Christian, I encourage you to “set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col.3:2) and to remember that we’re not home yet. If you’re not a Christian or have never paid attention to the deeper longings of your soul, I encourage you to give this some thought this week. If you do have an eternal soul, wouldn’t you want to find out how to get it home one day?
Ann-Margret Hovsepian has written professionally for over 25 years and has illustrated coloring books since 2015. She has written hundreds of articles and is a bestselling author, co-author, or illustrator of multiple books.
Books, articles, and products by Ann-Margret Hovsepian.
Фото: Pixabay.
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