This is not to downplay our present existence. For in the body we are also with the Lord. We do fellowship with the Lord right now. But when we die our fellowship with the Lord is more direct and infinitely better than it is now. The Christian who dies goes home to be with the Lord.
Death is a homecoming.
And all homecomings are joyful, wonderful experiences. Death is the end of a lifetime pilgrimage. The Christian's journey ends when he or she is at home with the Lord. Presently, we are sojourners, pilgrims, travelers, and wanderers. We don't really have a place we can call home.