“’ God,’ said Pascal, ‘instituted prayer in order to give his creatures the dignity of causality.”[1]
– C.S Lewis quoting Pascal
The thoughts of mortality and the subsequent departure of our soul from this earth came to mind. It wasn’t so much the morbidity of the subject that enticed my thinking to continue in this line of thought, but rather, what wonderous adventures await us in the eternal ethereal of existence. We are offered the image of the risen Christ as an example of the preeminent figure of the glorified body. The transition from this life to the next seems to be the greatest obstacle or fear of that imposed tragedy of situations.
The limitations of the finite mind relegate us to trepidation when considering the passing from one realm of existence into another. How much greater it will be when we are one step closer to our Creator, not as infinite, yet more so once we have shed this shell of decaying flesh and taken on our new body. In that moment of stepping onto the far distant shore, we will not only be changed in the twinkling of an eye, but in the exact moment, a new sense of being will overwhelm what we once saw through the limited perceptions of our finite soul’s blinders into one of trying to look into a blinding light of the realization of the expanse of eternity – the finite finally stepping from the terrestrial into the extraterrestrial.
With squinting vision, whatever that may be, we will peer into the vast illuminated abyss of the heavens, trying to make sense of what appears before us. As one trying to connect the imagery with known context, we’ll struggle to grasp what we find, yet we must also consider that we will not be the same as now. Even as I write this, one must keep reminding oneself that we will not have the same ocular abilities, and the same would hold true for all of the natural senses on which we came to rely on when living upon earth. No, in that heavenly realm, in the glorified body, not only will our ability to sense be changed, but the ability to comprehend will also take on an all-new quality never before imagined. It is here the joy of that which is to come should overtake us in the moment, perhaps making the tingling you feel when something spiritually grabs you and awakens something inherently built within us that allows for a moment, that split second when hit by an epiphany, you finally see the veil lifted and God’s treasure not built by hands, where no moth nor rust can reach, becomes a reality – existing in His presence the greatest gift of all.
“And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.”-2 Cor. 1:6
The morning brought about overcast skies; something that hadn’t been part of yesterday’s plan. Contemplations of getting up and finding new subjects to capture to use for future inspirational messages were quickly shrouded over by the gray skies above. From my vantage point, sitting on the picnic table at the Collettsville General store, I sat in humble submission to all that God was trying to reveal to my simple mind. Even knowing what I know about my walk in the Lord, it was evident, His plans were not my own, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”-Isa. 55:8
Blueridge Mountains, Collettsville, NC.
The clouds loomed
so closely that one might have perceived it to be dusk; the birds flitting to
and fro cared little. Cars going by, crossing the bridge, had their headlights
on. For late June, it was a pleasantly cool morning. The John’s River flowing
past echoed a constant gentle whisper. Its voice was the blank canvas for all
other voices, bemoaning a solitude to any that might listen; a respite from the
worldly nature of mankind. If only one could sit each waking hour by such a place,
how much more complete would their earthly life be? If the curse had not been
placed upon the world, how much more awe-inspiring would this appear?
While contemplating all that was before me, the thought of
how much more this might mean to one that had known struggles, darkness, and
sorrow came to mind. Many of my friends, colleagues, and even myself included
are facing all manner of persecution and trials. To this end, my thoughts began
to reflect upon how much I wish each of them were here with me to see what I
can see. But even in our afflictions, we must keep mindful of how our Savior is
using this to mold us, make us stronger in our faith. As the Apostle Paul
wrote, “And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and
salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we
also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and
salvation.”
Like a soldier having survived the atrocities of war,
perhaps even death by his own hands, to then return into the normal society; he
cannot help but be changed, forever altered in his perception of the fine line
between civility and cruelty. For a moment he can be in the real world, and a
split second later, he’s back in the hell from whence his world was forever
altered; blood, gore, and mayhem the likes many of us may never know, nor shall
we want too. Likewise, a person can return from the depths of struggle and
despair so great, that once they do, they too are forever changed, never to
look again upon a normal life without understanding how many divine
circumstances have attributed to that fragile thread of what is deemed
normalcy. Each one of us is so close to the edge of the abyss of having
nothing; ever so close to losing it all, yet we doubtfully are aware. Those who
comprehend this perilous precipice have the perception of both edges of the
double sword. They are keenly aware and feel the sense of urgency unbeknownst
to those around them. This difference makes them often seem either distant –
when they choose to remain silent for fear of distancing those with whom they
wished to be with – or that they appear overzealous in their beliefs to the
point they unintentionally ostracize those they love. In essence, they push
away those very people who they seek to reach.
When we accept Christ into our lives, when we turn away from
the old ways and take on the new, we are also forever changed. “Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new.”-2 Cor. 5:17 All of those things in the past are
forgotten; those old ways of sin, those old habits of which kept us in bondage
are gone. We are set free. At that moment, in that embrace of total immersion
into following Christ, we too can become separated from those around us who
either never realized our change, or who have yet to come to know Him as we
have come to know Him. Either way, we become a different person, one in which
we have died to our former selves, and being such, we no longer rely on the old
ways.
In that moment, when we are saved, we become a new being.
When we do, we face the same circumstances as those who have either lived
through traumatic life events or circumstances. We must be mindful of our
presence among those non-believers or even those who think they are Christian
but are not.
It is a precarious path we walk when we are changed.
Not only that, but our perception of this fallen world
changes as well. The world around us takes on a new light. Things once unseen
for the sake of chasing after the natural things of this world are now visible.
Our senses are like that of a babe, freshly receiving inputs from old receptors
but are now seen through new eyes. Gone are those filters of addiction and
worldly influences. We are cleansed by His blood, washed white as snow.
“Wherefore, he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise
from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”-Eph.5:14 When we awaken
from that death, we open the door as if to a freshly fallen snowscape; pristine
as it had been from the beginning. In our sin, we were too lost to see what was
before us all along.
Lastly, when we become one with our Father, we no longer
have to question our ability to speak with Him. We know that he listens to all
that we lift up in prayer. Even in our
weakness, God will intercede for us in prayer, “Likewise the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the
Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of
God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.”-Rom.8:26-28
We understand that even on the
darkest of days, those in which thunder clouds are looming on the horizon,
there is still even reason to rejoice. Even when those countless prayers we
have lifted up go unanswered, we still know that He is listening. “I had
fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of
the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine
heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”-Ps. 27:13-14
In the waiting, there is learning…and
always hope.
When we feel downtrodden in that
waiting, take heed and remember, He sends us his helper, the Comforter, “But
when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the
Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”-Jn
15:26
Yes, even on those days when you expected
sunshine and God sends showers, rejoice in all that is given. We only have one
earthly life to live. Let us not waste this time in despair, but rather, share
the gift of salvation to all those who will hear. Be mindful of your audience
and be not anxious. Some are meant to plant while others will reap; often will
we see both. The fields are ripe for harvest. Now is the time.