Oh dear! It is time to brush away the cob webs and dust off my blog!
I keep changing direction with my blog, unable to define my writing. The online-journal grew tiresome, devotional-style encouragements are apparently a dime a dozen and my other works are highly controversial in that I feel like a minority in my beliefs. Besides, the average attention span has been grossly cut apart by our constant bombardment of media and I am not the most succinct person. I suppose I have to make a decision as to who my audience is. To come to a conclusion in this area will determine what I write. So, am I writing for me or for others?
Since I see no point in writing to merely please others, I might as well enjoy the process and write whatever is on my heart. And what exactly is on my heart this morning? As is often the case, far too much! I have been greatly missing grandparents who have passed on, partly because of Christmas rapidly approaching but also because I know they would be so excited to meet their great-granddaughter. It hurts to know they will not get to meet her, this side of Heaven.
Blinking back tears, I asked my husband what my lost loved ones will mean to me in Heaven. He told me that no one really knows for certain, but he believes they will mean the same to me they did when they were here, it’s just that it will be so exponentially surpassed by my joy in being in the presence of God. We both agree on one thing though, that faith is a big part of believing in Heaven’s promise. Not that we believe it does not exist but that we are unsure of what it will entail in comparison to what we know of life on earth.
What truly snapped me back to reality is when he reminded me that my loved ones were saved when they passed on and he has very close loved ones who are not. I know that this is not something he is callous about but it was a rare glimpse of just how deeply it pains him. It hurts me as well…to love someone so much but know that if the Lord were to return today we would be apart for an eternity.
My grandpa is unsaved and I wrote him a letter when I was much younger telling him how much I loved him and why I wanted him to come to know Jesus like I do. It seemed simpler then. I was bolder. As an adult, discussions about God’s Word with unsaved loved ones and even fellow Christians become diluted to political arguments, doctrinal debates and ultimately hurt feelings. Instead, I simply choose my own paths carefully.
Perhaps, if I just live the way God says to, in all areas of my life, someone will notice. If that strikes up a conversation, then I pray God grants me the words that fail me on my own power. It is important to follow what the Bible says but the world has so perverted its meaning and has molded it to fit its own agenda. Assumptions about God’s character and misinterpreted verses are prevalent, which means that those who choose to uphold the truth look outdated, bigoted and ludicrous.
The movies I choose to view say as much as the movies I refuse to watch. If my life choices, like marriage, line up with God’s Word, it strengthens my testimony. People love to hack apart people they deem hypocrites, yet, all of us are hypocrites at one time or another. How we decide to raise our daughter will be a message in itself. It is important, perhaps more than ever, to back up our “preaching” with actions. We are living in a world that mistakes God loving all for condoning sin. He abhors sin (and we all sin) which is why Jesus had to become sin and be crucified on the cross for us. Jesus paid a death sentence we all were to succumb to. The only thing you need do now is to accept this switcheroo. That’s it! A thank you, a wholehearted repentance of the person you were and an acceptance of the new life that you are now freely given. Invite Him in!
Salvation seems so simple when you break it down like but it requires a faith: A deep-rooted, sturdy faith, to take that leap. It will waver, so you better make sure you are firmly planted. Living daily like you are truly saved will constantly test that faith and if you keep your relationship with God fresh, then you will survive those times where circumstances rattle that faith. Left a little shaken, perhaps broken, you can stand again because you never truly lost touch with the source of your faith.
The salvation of my unsaved friends and family…this is the burden on my heart this Tuesday morning. “Achoo!” Sorry, lots of dust was kicked up! 🙂
Leave a Reply