Homecoming

She was packing up the books in boxes when suddenly a grey and yellow photo dropped out from one of the books. Picking it up and brushing off the dust that collected over the surface, she peered under the light to see what was that photo.

And as she held that photo under the light, the photo became stained with her tears. Blotting out little patches on her photo due to the teardrops that 'washed' away some dirt that remained on the photo, the image became even clearer.

The only thing on her mind now was, "He'll never wait for me."

What was on the photo, was a shot of her and her boy friend few years back before she left for Toronto. With the highlands as background, with his hand firmly over her shoulders, with the largest and sweetest smile she could ever possibly flash at that time, at the back of her mind was nothing more than happiness, comfort, and the luxury of having a man that loved her more than anything in the world.

That, was what she thought back then.

Maybe not now.

He's a superman in his very own ways. He's a state athlete, he's a boy genius, he's a 5-star musician and an accomplished performer in theatres. At his young age, he was already signing contracts for recording and advertising companies who exploited his good looks and talents.

Perhaps it was for that very reason, he never kept his promises, leaving a heart broken and alone in Toronto.

Wiping away her tears, she said to herself, 'I'll be strong. Strong and never give up.'

Tears may dry, but how about the wounds of the heart? How long will it take a broken heart to heal?

Pushing out a trolley full of her boxes and luggages, her parents were already waiting eagerly for her at the arrival lounge. Beaming with joy, her parents took her luggage from her and patted her head.

"So proud of you, Doctor Allison!" dad said.

Doctor? She never wanted to be a doctor. It wasn't her choice really, and she despised the thought of being one. The thought of saving lives were never real, the noble idea of helping reduce people's pain is now a far fetched thought. The only real things that she has seen all these many many years of training and practical in Toronto, were the long hours, the suffering of the doctors themselves, and the hard work.

Worse still, she had no man there to love her.

She fought to hold back her tears to little avail. Hugging her mom and resting her head on her shoulders, she sobbed until the tears would just not come out anymore, leaving both parents at the side to wonder what is going on.

She came home to find her room in order, nothing different. The bed is as soft as ever, her pillow has the same detergent fragrance as before, the flowers were fresh and new. She took in a deep breath and finally smiled.

It was good to be home. To be finally home, it was a luxury. Home was the one place that gave her true solitude and security when the world was closing in on her. Home was the place where she could just turn to her parents when she needed them the most. Home was the place where she got the rest the world could not give her.

And that night as she rested her head, as she put herself to sleep that night, she said to herself,

"As the past becomes the past, as the night comes and darkness falls,
so shall the promise of a future be near, and the coming of a new morning be soon.

As people walk in and out of life, as love comes and goes,
so shall the blessings of God come and be given,
but through it all His faithfulness will never end."

She may never have the love that she desired, she may never work a profession that she would die for, she may never be the everything that others expected her to be. But one thing for sure was, where the home is, the heart is safe, the soul is at peace. Even if nothing would work out well for her in the world, the home was always and will always be that single refuge that she could run away from when the tears come.

And once that tears are dried up, once she wakes up from her deep sleep, she will rise to the challenges, stronger and better. She will find the love that God has for her all this time, she will find the greatest of joy not from Man but from God in a work that she commits to the hands of the Lord. She will know that through the storms, God is above it and God is in control. Only when she decides to come home.

Dedicated to my seniors leaving for Australia soon. May Australia be the home that you desire it to be, may Australia be the land that you can face bravely, and may Australia be a land where God's glory will be seen in you.