I had his poster on my bedroom wall. I watched every game he
played. If there was a news article or
picture of him, I cut it out and put it on my bulletin board. I had his jersey with his name and number on
the back and wore it while I cheered him on. I wanted to know everything about
him. I even wrote him a fan letter. (You
guys, it was ’89. Social media wasn’t a
thing yet.) At 13, I knew that the
chances of meeting him face to face were slim to none. But I still hoped that
somehow, I would run into him and tell him how cool I thought he was.
Fast forward to 2010, through a string of events, I was
going to be attending a fancy dinner event that was honoring this very person! A person that I had wanted to meet live,
in-person for ages! I was a crazy mix of
nervous-excited.
At the dinner party, I scanned the room looking for the man
of the hour. My husband leaned over to
me and said, “I’ll make sure you get introduced to him.” My gracious spouse
knew all about this guy and thought it was hilarious that I was anxious about
actually being introduced to this person and shaking his hand.
Then it happened.
This fella made his way over to our side of the room. My husband
introduced himself first, then introduced me.
I could not believe this moment was happening! My inner 13 year old was squealing with joy
while my adult self was trying to come up with some words of encouragement to
share with this person.
No joke, my head was spinning as I was trying to take in
every single detail about the moment. I
just kind of stood there in awe. My
thoughts were racing as I tried to converse with this person all while being
blown away that after YEARS of daydreaming about it, this moment was happening!
I’m pretty sure there was just a bunch of babble coming out of my mouth as I
noticed how this guy stood, how he tied his tie, how he had scars on his arms,
and the strength of his grasp as he shook my hand.
So why am I sharing this story with you? When a devotional
challenged me to focus my thoughts on heaven recently, this event came to
mind. And I began to wonder... Will I
act the same way when I meet Jesus?
Heaven just isn’t a subject I dwell on much. I kind of feel like whatever I imagine isn’t
even going to come close to what it will really be like, so why try? And is
anyone else ever frustrated that it’s never mentioned in the Bible what Jesus
looked like? How tall was He? What color
were His eyes? What did His laugh sound like?
But I've realized it’s good to focus our thoughts on heaven: “I press on to reach the end of the race and
receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Phil. 3:14 (NLT) Heaven is our prize! Our great reward for running our race
well. And while my thoughts dare to
dream about it, my heart longs to be
with my Savior.
Think about it... I’ve
followed Jesus for years. I bought His book : )
I read His Words and cling to them.
In fact, I have memorized them. His
name often stops me in my tracks and I am constantly on the lookout for all He
is doing.
Honestly, I do long for the day I am in the presence of Jesus in
heaven. I believe one day I’ll bow at
His Feet in worship, then throw my arms around Him and thank Him. As I struggle to put together the words for
how much He means to me; I will try to take it all in. Oh for the day to finally see with my eyes
His stance, to hear His laugh with my ears, to touch the His scars as I take His
hands!
“No longer will there
be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there,
and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on
their foreheads.” Revelation 22: 3-4 (NLT) {Emphasis mine}
Friends, allow your heart and mind to dwell on heaven
today. Linger in this... One day, we
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and it will be more amazing than we have ever dreamed!
“Surely your goodness
and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 (NIV)
Post by: Marcy Gates
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