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Little did I know when I published my last post entitled "between places--a heart thing" that within an hour that would take on an entirely different and deeper meaning. Our precious daughter in law, Sammie, got word that her Dad had died very suddenly, and unexpectedly. As I am present with her and her family, the deeper meaning of "between places" just hits me like a Kenworth truck! Wow, this is not just a simple being between two different continents, but between heaven and earth, life and after life! In such a tangible way this came home to me. Sammie, and her mom and brothers now have a part of their heart in heaven, and a part left here. As I have been praying for them, and reflecting on so many things that facing death seems to surface, I have realized that in a very real sense we are all to live this way as Christians. Paul said that our citizenship was not here, but in heaven, so any feeling that "all" is here, is really unreality. I guess God would desire that I live always with this in view, this world is not my home, I am just passing through..." go the words of an old gospel song! But do I live that way? Ashamedly, no, not most of the time. I see how God has stretched my mind and heart through the experience of having a foot in two or three worlds, with loved ones in each, but today this has been taken to a deeper level, perhaps to reality as it is meant to be perceived. If I belong to Christ, and He resides at the right hand of the Father in heaven, then really that is my home, where I belong. But how do I live that reality, while still living here? How do I orient myself to be holding things here, a home here, loved ones here loosely enough to call heaven home, knowing that deep within me; but tightly enough that I show the love of God and reflect Him well for as long as He gives me here. In my humanity I am tempted to integrate and adjust to this reality, by distancing myself from people and places, if they aren't home, and if they can all be gone in an instant, then who needs them?! But I know this is more, much more about self-protection, and distancing myself from pain, than it is about having an eternally based worldview, or godly perspective! Somehow He calls me to be IN the world but not OF it. Being in the world, because He is IN ME, MY HOPE OF GLORY, because by Him, and IN Him and through Him I am sustained, as is the world around me and everyone in it, whether they acknowledge Him as King or not. Lord, please, please teach me more of how to live this way in a truthful, God-honoring way. Teach me not to shrink away from pain, mine or others, in order to stay "safe" like pain is something that carries a nuclear waste symbol on it, and must be avoided so as to avoid contamination. How much trouble would we have been in if our Saviour Jesus Christ, had treated his time on earth in this way? In reality we do have nuclear waste signs on each of us, we are contaminated by sin, ours and others', but Jesus, although God, made Himself nothing, took on the form of a servant, was born in the likeness of man....he identified with us, and came near, to the point of death on a cross--bearing all our "toxic, nuclear waste (sin)" in Himself, paying the penalty for our sin Himself. He who was without sin, became sin, so that we might have the righteousness of God, and be declared "uncontaminated" not through anything we did ourselves, but because of His death and resurrection! "And can it be..." another ancient hymn rings in my ears right now! Did my God love me that much? Did He love you that much? YES! Thank you Lord. So, teach me to be in between places well, because I really am in between worlds! Show me more of what that means, and unpry my fingers from the things that they are holding on to so tightly to help make what will never be home seem like it, and those things that you have gifted as part of your plan to allow me to reflect you while here, enjoy you and your beauty, teach me to "hold" them with an open palm. Rick Peterson, these are some of the lessons you are teaching me in death. Thank you. To Sammie, CJ, Corey, and Carla--you are in my prayers and in my heart, may God grant you grace and peace and comfort and a peace that passes all understanding. Selah.
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