John 15:9-10 (Message) ~ … “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love…”

As I sit here this morning I sense love, joy and peace all around me. There is a sense of contentment in my heart. There is a smile on my face. Driving down the road the other day I sensed the very same things. My car was full of a peaceful and love-filled atmosphere. As I looked over into the next car I saw a woman yelling and obviously very upset. Separated by just a few feet at the stop light, in the same place, yet separated by two panes of glass, there was a dramatic change in the atmosphere.

While the atmosphere in my car was so peaceful and full of joy, her car seemed filled with hate, fear, and chaos. It struck me just how close we were in proximity. In the same city, on the same street, at the same street light, and yet the place held two very different things for us. It wasn’t about our physical location. But it was very much about our spiritual location.

I was in that secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91:1) and the secret place of the Most High was in my car. He’s in my car, in my home, in my church, in the grocery store. He’s wherever I am, because wherever I am, I am in Him, at home in His love.

The woman was yelling and her face was full of rage. She had probably been very wronged and very hurt to react in this way. I too had been wronged. I too had been hurt. Yet I found myself surrounded by love, joy, and peace. How? By being at home in His love. His commands to me, to love God and to love others, as I do them, keep me in that place of peace; keep me in that secret place; keep me at home in His love. And I am able to love Him and love others, because of His unending love for me.

So how did I stay in that place when I had been wronged? I forgave. That’s what love would do. That’s what Love did for me. He forgave me of all my sins. So I forgive at all times and I find myself at peace at all times. I carry it with me, because my home is not a physical location, my home is in my heart where I stay close to Him, where I stay close to Love Himself, by loving Him and loving others. My home is in that secret place of the Most High. My home is in His love and I never leave home without it.