Farther Along
There is an old Hymn, and for those of you who know my taste in worship you know I connect usually with the more contemporary worship music. But occasionally I do enjoy an old hymn, as the words are deep, rich, and teaching us of a more robust faith. The Hymn that came to my mind recently was “Farther Along” The words go “Farther along we’ll know all about it, farther along we’ll understand why…”
Yet in this moment I wonder if that is really even true. For all the shallow cliches I hear like “When we get to heaven, we will get all the answers.”
(As a side note, talking about the cliches I hear; for everyone who is saying that they are praying for me; Are you? Do you pray? Even more importantly do you know the one you are praying to? I say this not as condemnation but rather as n encouragement. I Want you to know the one I pray to, to know His comfort to recognize His voice! To know His strength and power. I don’t need you to lie to me and try to make me feel better by saying you are praying, and I don’t know how effective your words to the wind are if you do not yet know who it is you are praying to, unless your prayer is that you want to know Him! Just please be real and authentic with me right now, if you are not praying, just tell me you are thinking of me, tell me you are sending good thoughts or good vibes. Prayer is a real and powerful thing. James 5:16 KJV The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.)
Yet I see it here and now, in the moments spent with loved ones, for a second we share memories, and we laugh and reminisce. And just for a brief moment there is laughter, happiness and joy as we forget the great cloud of grief that is over us. But is heaven less than that? No, I don’t think so.
I think heaven is actually that feeling of joy, of peace perpetually. Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Emphasis mine) My idea of heaven is not a vision of angels and clouds and harps. It is one of such inexpressible beauty and joy in the presence of God.
So, I think when we get there we will be so swept up in the wonder and awesomeness of it all that we will be so filled with joy that we won’t even think to ask the questions of what and why things happened down here in this broken place. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
I believe that is where Nate is right now. I don’t think he is spending every moment watching us, I don’t think he has time to second guess his mistakes or wrong choices, He is living in complete total grace. I don’t think he is asking why things were the way they were. He is living in such freedom. Now he is in a place where that goofy grin will never leave his face. He is not crying for us; He is experiencing the fullness of the Joy of God. And so will we someday. I don’t think we will spend our time in heaven asking why or even desiring to understand the pain. We will just be engulfed in the comfort of the Lord forever.
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