03212026 Just Passing Through

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings from the God who oversees this broken world but who lives in a perfect and beautiful world.

I think you probably can relate to me, in that the longer I live in this broken world, the more aware I become of how profoundly it is broken. Thank God that He is still redeeming broken individuals. He is still bringing healing to broken homes and broken families, even broken communities and countries, where His love is accepted.

Overall, though, society is waxing worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13). Even the earth itself groans under the heavy weight of sin and its influence (Romans 8:22). As Christians, we also groan. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23).

While we live and serve in this broken world that often burdens us, this world is not our home. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). That word “conversation” refers to community or citizenship. We are citizens of heaven, sojourning here for a few years. Like Abraham, we “look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

“This world is not my home. I’m just a-passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” (Robert Earl Keen)

Moving day is coming – when we will finally go to our real home country for the first time. And there “shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA