Come Home: The Story

For me, the New Year (2015) came in with struggle and by mid-January I was feeling so weighed down I wasn’t sure how long I could keep going with the current circumstances and keep my sanity in tact!  Thankfully it wasn’t debilitating to the point of being unable to function as a mom and wife (so many people have had it worse than me for sure!), but I had never experienced an experience period of feeling stressed and dark as I did during that time.

One day, out of the blue, Grandma Celesta called.  She felt compelled to invite me to stay overnight in Farmington so she and Grandpa John could pamper me and provide me with a much-needed break.  I took her up on it.  The 24 hours I spent with them in Farmington was blissful.  It was quiet.  I relaxed by the fire and read.  I enjoyed homemade soup and bread with Grandma and Grandpa for dinner.

As we ate, Grandpa told stories about his parents, and growing up, and the farm.  After we finished eating, Grandma wouldn’t let me touch the dishes.  Instead, I sat in the rocking chair by the fire and visited with her as she washed the dishes.  That night I stayed in the blue “Texas” bedroom and looked out the windows at the bright country stars.  The next morning, I wasn’t sure that I could re-enter “reality” and shoulder my load again, as much as I loved being a mom to my three little guys.  But duty called, and I went home, a little more rested than before.

Later that spring, I had the chance to fly to Utah and join my in-laws for a women’s conference.  At the end of the trip, I visited another home- this one was “The House of the Lord”- the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, Utah.

I have felt Heavenly Father’s love and peace many times in my life.  But that night I felt His love so powerfully in the temple, it was as if I had never felt His love before.  My heart was filled with light, peace and wholeness, and though I did not see Him, I knew my Father in Heaven was near.  At the end of my visit to the temple I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the place where I felt so peaceful and whole after months of struggle.  As if in answer to my reluctance, I had a clear thought that later became the chorus of “Come Home”.  I am a witness that the temple- the House of the Lord- is a singular place in a challenging and confusing world where we can receive the most clarity, peace, light, and direction available in this life.  And so- “Come Home, to the House of the Lord!”  (What is a temple?  Visit https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/temples).

Soon after returning home from Utah, I was struck by how similarly I felt in my grandparents’ home and the temple: in both places I was overwhelmed with love.  I was invited to “Come Home” any time I needed relief, peace, comfort, and quiet.  And for a few hours each time, I set down my motherhood responsibilities and was cared for as a child.

This song is dedicated to my Grandma Celesta and Grandpa John, and their special Farmington farm that has been a “home” for so many over the years.

Come Home