Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3
When my daughter was about 6 years old, she asked me a question I'll never forget.
We were talking about heaven and eternity. I was explaining to her that "eternity" means forever, and that once we get to heaven, we will be there forever.
She was quiet, which meant she was thinking. Then, slowly, she asked me, "And Mama, what will we do there...forever?"
"We will be with God, my child."
Her next question is what struck me. "And why do we need forever to be with God?"
It was one of those moments. Being careful not to give a casual reply, this is what I told her: "You know, God is so deep that it will take forever to get to know all there is to know about Him."
The question, coming from a six-year old, was so simple, yet profound.
It was a few years after high school graduation when I first understood that God, my Creator, was inviting me to spend eternity with Him.
He offers this invitation to all; sadly, not everyone is willing to accept it.
But I'm glad to be one of those who did.
Since then I have often asked Him to help me live my life in light of eternity. Because here on earth, we are creatures bound by time. And each day we face the reality that twenty -four hours never seem to be enough for all that we need or want to do.
I have looked back at the past years of my life, and somehow end up looking at them with a tinge of pain.
My mother died when she was 60, my father died when he was 82.
My only sister moved to the US almost ten years ago.
My paternal first cousins, whom I love dearly, are in California, British Columbia, and Toronto. One lives in Southern Philippines.
As for my maternal cousins, I haven't seen them for the longest time.
Two of my closest friends left the country years ago and now reside in New Jersey and Virginia.
My eldest son turned 28 a few months ago. My second son has plans of getting married in the near future. My only daughter now lives far away from us.
Where have all the years gone?
I feel like there was not enough time spent with these my loved ones. Somehow I want to know them more, serve them more, hold them close, love them more, enjoy them more...
But I must face reality. As far as earthly relationships are concerned, the clock ticks...very fast. Before we know it, time's up!
We feel this way with earthly time because the truth is that we were not created for this kind of existence. God created us for eternity.
Our spirits remember, for that is how we were designed, that is how we were "programmed." Even after the fall, there remains in every man's heart that longing for the beauty and peace of the eternal.
Somehow, deep inside of us, we know that there is such a place, where time is not a line lived out in a series of chronological events. It is a place of wholeness, where there is no past or future, just an eternal present, and life is a continual experience to be savored and enjoyed.
and show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3
When my daughter was about 6 years old, she asked me a question I'll never forget.
We were talking about heaven and eternity. I was explaining to her that "eternity" means forever, and that once we get to heaven, we will be there forever.
She was quiet, which meant she was thinking. Then, slowly, she asked me, "And Mama, what will we do there...forever?"
"We will be with God, my child."
Her next question is what struck me. "And why do we need forever to be with God?"
It was one of those moments. Being careful not to give a casual reply, this is what I told her: "You know, God is so deep that it will take forever to get to know all there is to know about Him."
The question, coming from a six-year old, was so simple, yet profound.
It was a few years after high school graduation when I first understood that God, my Creator, was inviting me to spend eternity with Him.
He offers this invitation to all; sadly, not everyone is willing to accept it.
But I'm glad to be one of those who did.
Since then I have often asked Him to help me live my life in light of eternity. Because here on earth, we are creatures bound by time. And each day we face the reality that twenty -four hours never seem to be enough for all that we need or want to do.
I have looked back at the past years of my life, and somehow end up looking at them with a tinge of pain.
My mother died when she was 60, my father died when he was 82.
My only sister moved to the US almost ten years ago.
My paternal first cousins, whom I love dearly, are in California, British Columbia, and Toronto. One lives in Southern Philippines.
As for my maternal cousins, I haven't seen them for the longest time.
Two of my closest friends left the country years ago and now reside in New Jersey and Virginia.
My eldest son turned 28 a few months ago. My second son has plans of getting married in the near future. My only daughter now lives far away from us.
Where have all the years gone?
I feel like there was not enough time spent with these my loved ones. Somehow I want to know them more, serve them more, hold them close, love them more, enjoy them more...
But I must face reality. As far as earthly relationships are concerned, the clock ticks...very fast. Before we know it, time's up!
We feel this way with earthly time because the truth is that we were not created for this kind of existence. God created us for eternity.
Our spirits remember, for that is how we were designed, that is how we were "programmed." Even after the fall, there remains in every man's heart that longing for the beauty and peace of the eternal.
Somehow, deep inside of us, we know that there is such a place, where time is not a line lived out in a series of chronological events. It is a place of wholeness, where there is no past or future, just an eternal present, and life is a continual experience to be savored and enjoyed.
--0--
Eternity makes sense because we have an incomprehensible God. As John Whitener says,
"This inability to comprehend the infiniteness of God gives me indescribable comfort and peace in a world gone mad! I mean, after all, wouldn't it be a little worrisome to have a God that you could understand?"
Somehow I know that my recurring dream about flying was planted in my heart by the One Who created me.
This dream points me to the timeless dimension of eternity, where no one is in a hurry, no one is driven by a false sense of urgency, and nobody ever runs out of time.
Thinking of eternity fills my days with excitement and enthusiasm, instead of drudgery.
Doing so fills my heart with hope, for indeed, there is so much more to life than what this world offers.
Knowing that heaven is my destination helps me view my earthly pain and disappointment from a different perspective.
I look forward to heaven, where there will be all the time to know Him, and where there will be no end to the discovery!
And yes, in my heart, I'm still holding on to that dream.... I'm flying, high above the clouds!
Ever since I was small I have had this recurring dream: I am flying...high above rooftops, above the trees, above the clouds.
Upon awaking, I find myself inside this jar of clay. Finite. Limited.
If you are like me, you understand the frustration of wanting to know why, but having no answers. Of needing to understand what God is up to, yet not being able to fully comprehend His thoughts.
It was during one such time that I asked the Lord, "I want to know You more, Lord. I want to understand your ways."
Then came that verse in Jeremiah 33:3 -- Call out to me and I will answer you.
I will reveal to you unfathomable things...
Deep things...
Things you do not know...
Show you new things...
Give understanding...
I will shed light...
In other words, God was saying, "I'm knowable. I'm reachable. I'm willing to let Myself be known."And all I had to do was "call out to Him."
There are certain things about my relationship with God that can never be openly shared, moments in my journey which are too precious to be talked about. Even if I wanted to, it just wouldn't be possible. Not enough adjectives, not enough adverbs...there simply are not enough words.
But there are many other things that can be made known, although the re-telling of those experiences never does justice to the real thing, the way that a snapshot will never adequately capture the beauty of a moment.
Over the years I've experienced that God delights to reveal more of Himself to anyone who's seeking to know Him more.
God is always doing a new thing, revealing another aspect of His character that I've never before seen.
I know next to nothing about precious gems, but this much I understand: the more facets there are in a diamond, the brighter it shines. This is how I look at my relationship with God, each new facet that I discover about Him adds to the beauty and the way it sparkles!
No wonder John, when given a vision of the One who sat upon the throne of heaven, was at a loss for words when it came to describing what he saw. All he could say was that
He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. (Revelation 4:2-3)
John could only describe God in terms of brilliant precious stones!
As I experience a growing intimacy with God, I realize that the more I know Him, the more I want to know Him...
"Call out to Me and I will show you deep, unfathomable things...about Me."
Knowing Him here on earth is simply a foretaste, a shadow of what is to come. It whets our appetite for eternity, where God dwells.
My own answer to my daughter's innocent questions was an eye-opener for me. It led me to long for the deeper things of God. And while God has graciously heard my longing, there is still so much more to discover.
Upon awaking, I find myself inside this jar of clay. Finite. Limited.
If you are like me, you understand the frustration of wanting to know why, but having no answers. Of needing to understand what God is up to, yet not being able to fully comprehend His thoughts.
It was during one such time that I asked the Lord, "I want to know You more, Lord. I want to understand your ways."
Then came that verse in Jeremiah 33:3 -- Call out to me and I will answer you.
I will reveal to you unfathomable things...
Deep things...
Things you do not know...
Show you new things...
Give understanding...
I will shed light...
In other words, God was saying, "I'm knowable. I'm reachable. I'm willing to let Myself be known."And all I had to do was "call out to Him."
There are certain things about my relationship with God that can never be openly shared, moments in my journey which are too precious to be talked about. Even if I wanted to, it just wouldn't be possible. Not enough adjectives, not enough adverbs...there simply are not enough words.
But there are many other things that can be made known, although the re-telling of those experiences never does justice to the real thing, the way that a snapshot will never adequately capture the beauty of a moment.
Over the years I've experienced that God delights to reveal more of Himself to anyone who's seeking to know Him more.
God is always doing a new thing, revealing another aspect of His character that I've never before seen.
I know next to nothing about precious gems, but this much I understand: the more facets there are in a diamond, the brighter it shines. This is how I look at my relationship with God, each new facet that I discover about Him adds to the beauty and the way it sparkles!
No wonder John, when given a vision of the One who sat upon the throne of heaven, was at a loss for words when it came to describing what he saw. All he could say was that
He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. (Revelation 4:2-3)
John could only describe God in terms of brilliant precious stones!
As I experience a growing intimacy with God, I realize that the more I know Him, the more I want to know Him...
"Call out to Me and I will show you deep, unfathomable things...about Me."
Knowing Him here on earth is simply a foretaste, a shadow of what is to come. It whets our appetite for eternity, where God dwells.
My own answer to my daughter's innocent questions was an eye-opener for me. It led me to long for the deeper things of God. And while God has graciously heard my longing, there is still so much more to discover.
It will take forever to know Him.
Eternity makes sense because we have an incomprehensible God. As John Whitener says,
"This inability to comprehend the infiniteness of God gives me indescribable comfort and peace in a world gone mad! I mean, after all, wouldn't it be a little worrisome to have a God that you could understand?"
Somehow I know that my recurring dream about flying was planted in my heart by the One Who created me.
This dream points me to the timeless dimension of eternity, where no one is in a hurry, no one is driven by a false sense of urgency, and nobody ever runs out of time.
Thinking of eternity fills my days with excitement and enthusiasm, instead of drudgery.
Doing so fills my heart with hope, for indeed, there is so much more to life than what this world offers.
Knowing that heaven is my destination helps me view my earthly pain and disappointment from a different perspective.
I look forward to heaven, where there will be all the time to know Him, and where there will be no end to the discovery!
And yes, in my heart, I'm still holding on to that dream.... I'm flying, high above the clouds!
2 comments:
There have been times when I have been deeply immersed in worshipping our Lord and I almost felt as though I was flying in another realm...on earth, but yet not really. It's hard to describe. I appreciate what you said in this post. Fly, fly, fly!!! In the name of Jesus. AMEN!!!
"This is how I look at my relationship with God, each new facet that I discover about Him adds to the beauty and the way it sparkles!"
I LOVE this description!
And this, that you mention...the questions kids ask and the way they make you think, and the way God shows you deep truths as you strive to find an answer a child could understand...this is one of the things I love most about being a mother. It is also, I think, another illustration of what Jesus meant when he said we must become like a child to enter the kingdom of God.
Blessings upon you today!
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