03.25
“Sit down in the swing, Ken, while I get us some lemonade.” Those words were music to my ears. When I was in my mid 20′s and serving full-time in my first church, I’d stop by the house of Polly Smith, a sweet southern belle. Polly was 70+ years old and oozed wisdom. We’d sit in the shadow of a giant oak tree, sipping homemade lemonade and talking about life.
One hot summer afternoon, I told Polly that I wasn’t very excited about heaven. “I know that sounds unspiritual, Polly, but heaven just doesn’t ‘do much’ for me.” Without hesitation, Polly replied, “Well, that’s normal, Ken. You haven’t lived long enough. But that’ll change. One day, you’ll know more people in heaven than you know on earth. That’s when heaven becomes your home. And when that happens, you’ll be ready to go home.”
As I read about these servants in the Bible, I sense that their hearts were set more on heaven, than on this earth. Maybe it’s because life didn’t offer as many ‘goodies’ as it does today. Americans live under the ‘illusion of the good life’. We honestly believe that life on this earth can be really good for us. But no matter how good life gets, it doesn’t fill that heaven-shaped hole in our heart.
When I hear Esther say, “If I perish, I perish,” I realize that she didn’t live under the ‘illusion of the good life.’ Heaven was her home. Following God meant more to her than anything else. And it’s this perspective that gave her boldness, in spite of her fears.
Polly Smith is still alive today. Her body is failing her. Most of her friends are gone. And when God calls, she’s ready to go home.
What about you? Where’s your home, this earth or heaven? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Also, I want some of you to share how God draws your gaze toward heaven…
Teresa and I had an unbelievable experience over the weekend. We became grandparents! (Teresa forced Ken to look at pictures on Wednesday and he did a pretty good job of acting interested) It was a joyful time with our son and daughter-in-law and her family. Amid the joy and excitement there was however a moment of sadness as I thought about my Dad who pass away two years ago. Teresa and I talked about what he would have been saying and how proud he would have been of his great grand daughter. I really miss him the most in the special times. As I thought of him and heaven this weekend verses from the 12th chapter of Hebrews came to mind.
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”
I find encouragement from the faithful who have gone before me and make up this “cloud of witnesses”.
Wow. Thanks, Stuart!
We’ve just started reading Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven. One paragraph stood out to us:
“Satan need not convince us that Heaven doesn’t exist. He need only convince us that Heaven is a place of boring, unearthly existence. If we believe that lie, we’ll be robbed of our joy and anticipation, we’ll set our minds on this life and not the next, and we won’t be motivated to share our faith. Why should we share the “good news” that people can spend eternity in a boring, ghostly place that even we’re not looking forward to?”