Just as parents are kind to their children, the LORD is kind to all who worship him,
because he knows we are made of dust.
We humans are like grass or wild flowers that quickly bloom.
But a scorching wind blows, and they quickly wither to be forever forgotten.
The LORD is always kind to those who worship him,
and he keeps his promises to their descendants who faithfully obey him.
God has set up his kingdom in heaven, and he rules the whole creation.        Psalm 103:13-19 (CEV)
I was thinking about some of the trips I have taken. I remember when the children were young we had a Chevy conversion van. It was big and just the thing for taking that twelve hour trip ‘home’ from Florida to Missouri. The first time my mother got in it she sat in the last seat and said it felt like she was in a bus. I told her that about Hour 7 of the 12 hour trip it felt like a VW! The van even had a VCR in it and individual headphones so the children could watch their videos while their dad and I enjoyed our music. The seats reclined. It seemed like a palace except during the very long drive.
My journey ‘home’ to heaven is a long drive. It strikes me that as I think of the conversion van and the purpose for its purchase that there is a lesson there. No matter how ‘good’ the vehicle or circumstances of the journey to a child there are plenty reasons to whine! And I am God’s child on my journey to heaven.
A child has no concept of time. “Are we there yet?†she says thirty minutes from the driveway. Anything longer than one video/movie seems forever. Would I live my life any different if I knew exactly how long it would be? I always knew how long a semester was in college and yet I waited to the last two weeks to do the term paper! God could tell me my life span but He speaks of time as here and now vs. there and then. This life compared to that life isn’t long, is it?
You, indeed, have made my days short in length, and my life span as nothing in Your sight.
Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor.           Psalm 39:15 (HCSB)
A child also doesn’t see the journey as a small price for the reward. My children could never remember the fun they had once we reached Missouri. We usually traveled at night so they couldn’t see where we were going. The road was dark and strange. They had to rely on their dad to get them to the destination. They didn’t remember the fun of playing in snow or playing pool in Grandma’s basement. They didn’t remember all the candy and ‘stuff’ they got there that was not available to them at home. I’ve never been to heaven so I don’t have any idea how great it’s going to be. I only have my Father’s word for it. I have to trust Him. When I listen to Him, then I get a picture of the reward for the journey and my complaints decrease as my destination unfolds.
For some of us on this journey it has been long and difficult. Many people have been asked to carry burdens on their journey that I cannot imagine. Dreams have been shattered along the way. Some have bodies that are failing and cannot hold the beautiful spirit that is inside. Bills outweigh paychecks and challenges outweigh strength. The spirit is willing but the flesh is tired. It is in these times that God encourages us to remember this one thing: It’s worth it.
The angel showed me a river that was crystal clear, and its waters gave life. The river came from the throne where God and the Lamb were seated. Then it flowed down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river are trees that grow a different kind of fruit each month of the year. The fruit gives life, and the leaves are used as medicine to heal the nations. God’s curse will no longer be on the people of that city. He and the Lamb will be seated there on their thrones, and its people will worship God and will see him face to face. God’s name will be written on the foreheads of the people. Never again will night appear, and no one who lives there will ever need a lamp or the sun. The Lord God will be their light, and they will rule forever.              Revelation 22:1-5 (CEV)
