Krikey!!
As I'm sure you've heard by now Steve Irwin, known to most of us as the Crocodile Hunter, was tragically killed this week when he was pierced in the heart by a barb on the tail of a stingray. He was swimming with the rays for a documentary, doing what he did everyday, and doing what he loved.
Nevertheless, as I laid in bed last night - correction, this morning at 2 a.m. - unable to sleep, I couldn't help but think about the dying process. Morbid as it may be, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about , heaven, and the fear many of us share in anticipating the end of our lives.
First, is the great humiliator. It's the one thing we ALL have in common - we will, eventually, die. From the most arrogant in our world like Barry Bonds, Terrell Owens, etc. to the most humble, we will all some day cease to exist. It's inescapable. Funerals seem to be a reminder of that. Yes, we're mourning the of a close friend or family member, but in the back of our minds we're also coming face to face with the fact that one day we'll be the one lying in that casket while our friends and family gather round to mourn our , celebrate our life, and wonder what the heck comes next.
I often wonder why God isn't a little more forthcoming with information about what awaits us in our post-earth lives. If we truly do have this great reward in heaven, why don't we know anything about it? We've gone into space, yet no one has seen a sign saying "HEAVEN - 3 TRILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY." We make things up to make ourselves feel a little better about it - like having streets of gold, a crystal sea, mansions on hilltops and beautiful singing. Despite that, there's no denying that we know very little, if anything at all, about what awaits us FOR ETERNITY!!!! Our lives on earth are over in a flash, so shouldn't we know just a little more about where we're going, as David Crowder says, foreverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandever?
I'll be honest, I fear death sometimes. I feel a little guilty about that because I'm a minister, but my mind is still a human mind and it can only fathom so much. I don't know that I feel really comfortable with the whole "eternity" thing. Are we really there for an infinite amount of time? Is there really no end? Do we not wonder around the universe exploring other galaxies? Do we have anything to do? AND WHY ARE WE THERE FOREVER??? It messes with my head.
My wife fears the fact that we might not know each other in heaven. That's to be dreaded as well. How sad to think that we'll spend our lives together, loving and cherishing each other, only to never again be in the presence of the one I love more than any other. We talk about seeing each other again someday, but will we really?
There are so many things to fear when it comes to . But only because it's unknown. For me, my faith means the most in these times when I'm fearing what is to come. I am trying to teach my son, Levi, the concept that God is bigger than us. So we read the story of David and Goliath each night before bed. He understands that God is bigger than David and that God is bigger than Goliath. When I see that he gets it I smile then go through our ritual of giving each other a big squeeze, a soft bonk, a nose twiddle, a fish kiss, a high five, on the back side, in the hole and then I tickle him for a half second. I leave his room content that he knows in his mind that God is bigger than everyone else. So why do I struggle with it?
Here's a conclusion I came to recently on , dying, and eternity: I WILL TRUST THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL AND THAT HIS PROMISES WILL BE KEPT. I'm going to trust that the Psalmist was correct when he wrote "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." (Ps. 84:10) I'm going to trust that even if I don't know my wife in heaven or even if I'm going to spend eternity in the same place, that God knows better than I do what awaits me there, and He has promised that it will be greater than anything I could imagine. I've found this to be a wonderful way to live life and to aliviate the fear and stress that comes with facing .
Father, thank you for being a God who is true to His promises. Thank you for preparing a place for us to spend eternity in the Great House of God. Thank you for being in control of my life and of life as we know it on earth. You are greater than my fears, and you are the One that can overpower . For that I am thankful, and for that I give you praise. Amen.
Nevertheless, as I laid in bed last night - correction, this morning at 2 a.m. - unable to sleep, I couldn't help but think about the dying process. Morbid as it may be, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about , heaven, and the fear many of us share in anticipating the end of our lives.
First, is the great humiliator. It's the one thing we ALL have in common - we will, eventually, die. From the most arrogant in our world like Barry Bonds, Terrell Owens, etc. to the most humble, we will all some day cease to exist. It's inescapable. Funerals seem to be a reminder of that. Yes, we're mourning the of a close friend or family member, but in the back of our minds we're also coming face to face with the fact that one day we'll be the one lying in that casket while our friends and family gather round to mourn our , celebrate our life, and wonder what the heck comes next.
I often wonder why God isn't a little more forthcoming with information about what awaits us in our post-earth lives. If we truly do have this great reward in heaven, why don't we know anything about it? We've gone into space, yet no one has seen a sign saying "HEAVEN - 3 TRILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY." We make things up to make ourselves feel a little better about it - like having streets of gold, a crystal sea, mansions on hilltops and beautiful singing. Despite that, there's no denying that we know very little, if anything at all, about what awaits us FOR ETERNITY!!!! Our lives on earth are over in a flash, so shouldn't we know just a little more about where we're going, as David Crowder says, foreverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandeverandever?
I'll be honest, I fear death sometimes. I feel a little guilty about that because I'm a minister, but my mind is still a human mind and it can only fathom so much. I don't know that I feel really comfortable with the whole "eternity" thing. Are we really there for an infinite amount of time? Is there really no end? Do we not wonder around the universe exploring other galaxies? Do we have anything to do? AND WHY ARE WE THERE FOREVER??? It messes with my head.
My wife fears the fact that we might not know each other in heaven. That's to be dreaded as well. How sad to think that we'll spend our lives together, loving and cherishing each other, only to never again be in the presence of the one I love more than any other. We talk about seeing each other again someday, but will we really?
There are so many things to fear when it comes to . But only because it's unknown. For me, my faith means the most in these times when I'm fearing what is to come. I am trying to teach my son, Levi, the concept that God is bigger than us. So we read the story of David and Goliath each night before bed. He understands that God is bigger than David and that God is bigger than Goliath. When I see that he gets it I smile then go through our ritual of giving each other a big squeeze, a soft bonk, a nose twiddle, a fish kiss, a high five, on the back side, in the hole and then I tickle him for a half second. I leave his room content that he knows in his mind that God is bigger than everyone else. So why do I struggle with it?
Here's a conclusion I came to recently on , dying, and eternity: I WILL TRUST THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL AND THAT HIS PROMISES WILL BE KEPT. I'm going to trust that the Psalmist was correct when he wrote "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." (Ps. 84:10) I'm going to trust that even if I don't know my wife in heaven or even if I'm going to spend eternity in the same place, that God knows better than I do what awaits me there, and He has promised that it will be greater than anything I could imagine. I've found this to be a wonderful way to live life and to aliviate the fear and stress that comes with facing .
Father, thank you for being a God who is true to His promises. Thank you for preparing a place for us to spend eternity in the Great House of God. Thank you for being in control of my life and of life as we know it on earth. You are greater than my fears, and you are the One that can overpower . For that I am thankful, and for that I give you praise. Amen.
posted by CoryJones at 10:42 AM
2 Comments:
I'm depressed.
Just kidding. I think that these are good thoughts. And I think you'll recognize Christina in heaven. She'll be the one jumping up and down and generally flipping out with joy to see you. And she'll recognize you by the heavenly fish-dance you'll be doing. :)
Couldn't have said it better myself Elisa!
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