life after this
"I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing, I went... " These are the words to a popular country song that I like. I can really relate to the song: fulfilling your wildest dreams before your life comes to an end. Honestly it's not a bad desire, but for me, those dreams that I wish could come true were shallow.
Recently at church our pastor did a series directed at myths people have about God. The first week he addressed heaven and eternity. As I sat and listened, I recalled some of my first thoughts on heaven. I remembered in second grade someone asking me what did I hope it would be like. I replied, "I hope I can eat tacos everyday, whenever I want." Deep down inside I dreaded the thought of dying. I kept thinking what if it's just like a big fat church service you have to sit through and listen to people talk about God. Sure that would be better than hell, but please say it isn't so. Then in my teenage years as I grew to understand more about the second coming of Christ and hearing people threaten it could be any day, I begged Jesus not to come until I had at least experienced my wedding night. Just thinking back to that makes me chuckle. The thing is, heaven is NOT where we spend eternity. Our minds just stop there. We fail to read on. God tells us that after Christ returns, He will create a NEW earth, a perfect earth. (Revelation 21) Now if God can create a ka-gillion stars, breath taking sea scapes and keep our little planet in perfect alignment with the sun, my eternity with my heavenly Father will blow my freakin mind! Life here is not the best that it gets. If I miss skydiving, which is something I want to do, I won't be sitting in eternity regretting it. If I died not ever seeing Ireland, so what. I am sure the new earth's beauty will be unmatched and I will have all of eternity to explore it.
So anyways, bottom line: For me it was an excellent reminder on what I need to be focused on everyday. That is, what will make a difference to eternity, not what I selfishly want to do before I get there.
posted by terrible speller at 8:40 PM
5 Comments:
Hey. I miss you. I needed your post today. I am having my first surge of hormones, the bad ones, and it is not pretty inside my mind tonight. I am reminded though that the things I am doing will make a difference in eternity because I am shaping little hearts for his kingdom. The stretching and disfigurement of my body will make a difference and is worth the price of having a new little one. Maybe this little blog entry will help me go to bed with a peace about the tiring sacrifices that are made all day long as a mom and I won't feel so tired and ragged!
11:17 PM
Ok so I completely agree with every ounce of my soul that our daily lives are to be consumed with advancing the kingdom, whatever it takes! We have had this conversation before (after our canceled Alaska trip) about being satisfied if you never get to see what this world as to offer, But I just have to encourage you to go for it. Live the life God gave you. Make the most of every opportunity and have fun doing it. I don’t know if choosing to do something you desire is something that God would frown upon. What if he gave you a desire to go skydiving because he is working in the heart of the instructor and the day you go is the day he needed God to meet him where he was. Do you really think God cares if you choose to do something like skydiving because its a desire of you self? I truthfully am not sure the answer. I think God created the ability to skydive so we can marvel at him even more. I only am using skydiving as an example but it could be anything, adopting kids, buying a car, going to Disneyland with your kids. We will always be selfish souls that’s why he saved us. I think if you allow God to use your selfish soul he will use you to advance HIS kingdom no matter what you are doing. I am just stirring the pot. I love you and I know you are a thinker which is why you are one of my best friends, you make me think of things that I don’t think twice about, I just thought I’d bring my West Coast opinion. Just remember to LIVE!
1:01 AM
what the heck happened to the words that i used an apostrophe in? I did not do that on purpose. H
1:05 AM
yes I agree to live, but when I honestly thought if I died before I got to experience sex, sky diving, foreign countries, etc. that I will feel slighted is crazy. I am not saying that doing those things is bad, I am just guilty of placing them as more of a priority to accomplish than advancing the kingdom. I would still love to see Alaska, but it was not the right timing and that is why we canceled it. It had nothing to do that I was afraid to live.
9:04 AM
I was not accusing you of being afraid of living I was trying to remind you that you can advance the kingdom through living. If we are giving our all each day to please God then doing the things we desire will still please him. He is just as pleased with us when we have sex than when we read His Word. I'm just saying strive to live for him in everything you do and if that means you get to do something you desire than double the pleasure! Thanks for being my friend. H
4:23 PM
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