During Lent, I am reminded that home is more than a place—it is a return to a state of mind, where I am unconditionally taken in and accepted in full capacity.
When I return to Humboldt County where I lived for most of my childhood, the mountains rise in quiet strength, the redwoods tower with ancient wisdom, and the rugged Pacific crashes with a power that humbles and steadies me. All of this serves as my stage for the wealth of memories I carry with me every day in adulthood. Each time I pass through Avenue of Giants on Highway 101, my heart loosens its grip on worry. The beauty feels personal, like God speaking through fog, forest, and ocean, reminding me where my story began and where my soul finds rest.
Like the wandering son in Jesus’ parable, I carry failures, doubts, and distance from who I hope to be. Yet God’s love meets me before I can even explain myself. In that quiet stretch of road, I sense the Loving Parent’s embrace—steady, patient, and undeserved.
Prayer: Lent invites me to remember: no matter how far I roam, God’s home is always open to me. Amen
Tom Lewis