I’m sitting here reading a book entitled Sin Matters." The author talks about a lot of things, but I’m reading the chapter entitled "Headed Home." He talks about us leaving home…separation…. for the first time and our missing all the familiar sights, and sounds and people…as we wonder if we can make it. Sometimes it is when Kindergarten starts…and sometimes manifests itself in tears and some insecurity…sometimes it’s when parents leave on a trip and we long for them to return. Sometimes it’s when we go visit a relative, friend, grandparent and we feel "undone" as we manage ourselves in the "separated state" whatever that might be. Then sometimes it is when we leave home to make it on our own…and how sometimes we long to go back…or not. And sometimes it is the loss of a loved one who really went Home! Oh, how we miss them.
The reality about that is that going back isn’t safe. God put Adam and Eve out of the Garden as a consequence for their disobedience, but there was a bigger reason. The tree of Life was still sitting in the center of the Garden. That flaming sword was put there to keep them from going back in and partaking of the tree that would forever seal them in a sin-sick state…the Tree of Life. If they were to eat of the tree of life we would be left in this sin-sick state forever. As painful as death is for all of us…It is God’s blessing that we don’t have to live in this sin-sick body in this sin-contaminated world forever. Thus…I’ve wondered about Adam and Eve having to go away from their home, after they sinned. Were they scared, nervous, anxious? I imagine they were. But they could not go back…it isn’t safe. To live in the garden is not safe. Just as we can’t go back home…it isn’t safe there. We have to learn to step out on our own and be dependent on God….not on our parents.
In this particular chapter, the author highlights the REAL “Going home” event. Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to realize we are undone and away from home very easily… but we are. Only as God highlights that and awakens us to our brokenness. The author speaks of the place we were created for and a place where our hearts long for something better than what we have now., and sometimes it is hard to know what that longing really is. We can’t really long for something better until we become aware that there is something better out there…somewhere. At the same time we are created for something far more beautiful and magnificent than we can experience in this sin-sick contaminated existence…we are created with a survival instinct that keeps us earth bound and our feet stuck in mud sometimes. We don’t know how to “unstick” ourselves from what is familiar. But if we think just a moment about what heaven might be like….more than no more sickness…That is certainly something to look forward to…but as I reflect on heaven. Imagine what it would be like to not have to struggle with the effects of sin. No more fighting the negative thought, no more having to make a choice to be “happy” today….in the midst of the pain of just living life. No more caught up in weighing our options and then waking up one morning realizing we made a very wrong choice. Can you imagine the pure freedom to choose rightly? No more fighting the want to put ourselves in front of others, but caring about others just as much as we care about ourselves and no struggle with that.. No more thoughts about “should I” or shouldn’t I.” Those thoughts will be banished, never to surface again. We will just “know” the right thing to say, to do. It will be as natural as breathing in and out…never giving it a second thought. No more need to have to choose to forgive….there will be no one sinning against us…Imagine that! Can you imagine the freedom to embrace the forgiveness that was bought for us by Jesus’ work on the cross, and no more struggle to believe, or accept that it is real. As I step down into the water, I will be immersed in the grace and love that offers me the freedom to be able to believe I’m a worthy creature….created in love, for love, and to be loved. All natural and free flowing. No more self-centered distortions, no more distractions…no more fighting with ourselves to “do” the right thing…or wishing we had…Ah, there’s a good one. No more regrets…NONE! No looking back and wondering what if….or if only….Then we can embrace a perfect body…one that works as it was created to work….perfectly…with every breath. All sin banished…never to stalk me EVER again. FREEDOM!
No more tears. Tears? I wonder about tears. Scripture states in Revelation…”he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. We first associate tears with sadness, pain and hurt. But I’m sure we have all shed a tear or two because we are overcome with so much gratefulness, joy, and compassion that it pops out of our eyes. I wonder…will we still have tears of joy? Or will we just express it differently? I wonder? Our joy will be made complete so we will constantly be in a state of bliss and happiness…so no more happy tears…we will be blissful all the time? No more deformities of heart, or body . A Pure and Clean Heart, devoted to doing right where the choice will be as natural as the unawareness of blinking our eyes. Loved ones who have gone there already…Hmmm, I smile as I think what they must be enjoying…and one day we will get to enjoy as well. In the interim, we will continue to go through the daily chores of life, as we are drawn closer and closer to really “Going Home.” As life here, prepares us for living there…There in a peaceful land that we can only dream about and imagine. But as we do we must realize that Jesus bought and paid not only for Heaven, but also for us to live victorious in the here and now. He states, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” It is just the struggle that will be gone one day when we really “Go Home.”
Just my thoughts…
And I miss, miss, miss….you, Babe.
In this particular chapter, the author highlights the REAL “Going home” event. Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to realize we are undone and away from home very easily… but we are. Only as God highlights that and awakens us to our brokenness. The author speaks of the place we were created for and a place where our hearts long for something better than what we have now., and sometimes it is hard to know what that longing really is. We can’t really long for something better until we become aware that there is something better out there…somewhere. At the same time we are created for something far more beautiful and magnificent than we can experience in this sin-sick contaminated existence…we are created with a survival instinct that keeps us earth bound and our feet stuck in mud sometimes. We don’t know how to “unstick” ourselves from what is familiar. But if we think just a moment about what heaven might be like….more than no more sickness…That is certainly something to look forward to…but as I reflect on heaven. Imagine what it would be like to not have to struggle with the effects of sin. No more fighting the negative thought, no more having to make a choice to be “happy” today….in the midst of the pain of just living life. No more caught up in weighing our options and then waking up one morning realizing we made a very wrong choice. Can you imagine the pure freedom to choose rightly? No more fighting the want to put ourselves in front of others, but caring about others just as much as we care about ourselves and no struggle with that.. No more thoughts about “should I” or shouldn’t I.” Those thoughts will be banished, never to surface again. We will just “know” the right thing to say, to do. It will be as natural as breathing in and out…never giving it a second thought. No more need to have to choose to forgive….there will be no one sinning against us…Imagine that! Can you imagine the freedom to embrace the forgiveness that was bought for us by Jesus’ work on the cross, and no more struggle to believe, or accept that it is real. As I step down into the water, I will be immersed in the grace and love that offers me the freedom to be able to believe I’m a worthy creature….created in love, for love, and to be loved. All natural and free flowing. No more self-centered distortions, no more distractions…no more fighting with ourselves to “do” the right thing…or wishing we had…Ah, there’s a good one. No more regrets…NONE! No looking back and wondering what if….or if only….Then we can embrace a perfect body…one that works as it was created to work….perfectly…with every breath. All sin banished…never to stalk me EVER again. FREEDOM!
No more tears. Tears? I wonder about tears. Scripture states in Revelation…”he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. We first associate tears with sadness, pain and hurt. But I’m sure we have all shed a tear or two because we are overcome with so much gratefulness, joy, and compassion that it pops out of our eyes. I wonder…will we still have tears of joy? Or will we just express it differently? I wonder? Our joy will be made complete so we will constantly be in a state of bliss and happiness…so no more happy tears…we will be blissful all the time? No more deformities of heart, or body . A Pure and Clean Heart, devoted to doing right where the choice will be as natural as the unawareness of blinking our eyes. Loved ones who have gone there already…Hmmm, I smile as I think what they must be enjoying…and one day we will get to enjoy as well. In the interim, we will continue to go through the daily chores of life, as we are drawn closer and closer to really “Going Home.” As life here, prepares us for living there…There in a peaceful land that we can only dream about and imagine. But as we do we must realize that Jesus bought and paid not only for Heaven, but also for us to live victorious in the here and now. He states, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” It is just the struggle that will be gone one day when we really “Go Home.”
Just my thoughts…
And I miss, miss, miss….you, Babe.
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