Yesterday I did something I haven’t ever done before. I wasn’t sick. There were no unforseen circumstances. No kids were sick or ornery. I just felt such a strong urge, so I did it.
I skipped church.
Yep, sent my husband and kids and stayed in my pj’s. Didn’t last long, though, because it was such a beautiful day that I had to grace the outdoors with my presence.
I grabbed a container and trotted across the road to my neighbor’s flower bed. She’s been gone for several years, and her family has yet to part with the house. So, we have a ready-made dewberry patch handy. As I was painstakingly reaching among the thorns, God and I began a little rendezvous that went something like this:
“These are cool, God. Is this supposed to be a parable of life for me or something? Nothing good comes without a little pain and effort?”
Because of His great love, we are not consumed.
“What’s that? Nice. Thanks. So, anyway, God, what’s Heaven like. Do you just go straight there or do you have to hang out somewhere waiting for the rapture?”
A day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.
“True, true, so what does it matter? When you die, you’re finally done. The ultimate rest. So, too bad we don’t really know what it’s like.”
I’ve given enough details to make scores of people long for it for centuries.
“I guess you’re right. And even if you hadn’t, how can it not be awesome? After all, it’s conceived by the same creative mind that created the most beautiful spots on earth. And Heaven is that Mind’s idea of perfection. It has to be absolutely stunning. . . My sister is in California at one such beautiful spot. Wonder if we’ll ever be able to afford seeing it?”
Heaven is free. You WILL make it there one day regardless.
“Awesome. Sometimes I wish there wasn’t life to be lived between here and there.”
Because of his great love, we are not consumed.
“That again. It is a pretty awesome verse. Lamentations? I think it goes into the ‘great is Thy faithfulness’ verse. I’ll have to look it up.”
I finished with the dewberries and went to the backyard. I was delighted to find some volunteer zinias and then noticed that my green beans seriously needed picking again. I started grabbing a few, then got hooked. It didn’t take long for our conversation to begin again.
“Is this not an awesome reminder that you’ll take care of us? ‘All I have needed your hand has provided.’ Food just grows. Crazy how that works.”
Because of his great love, we are not consumed.
“Okay, God — I see a pattern here. I get the message. I’m humbled beyond words.”
On April 4, my in-laws came to visit. While they were here, my brother-in-law got some freaky illness and ended up in the hospital for a few days. They left on April 13. Luke threw up that night, and the rest of us followed suit on April 14. Ava went to the doctor on April 15, and then again on April 17 for the most violent stomach bug we’ve ever had. Unfortunately, I’d kept Judy’s kids on the 14th so Gene could have more tests run, and unknowingly exposed them. They became sick with the same illness several days later. Since we were clearly ragingly contagious, no one wanted to set foot in our house, leaving us to fend for ourselves. On April 18, as I was laying on the couch with my screaming baby, I wondered about the health of my grandfather. He died at almost the same moment as I prayed for him & grandma. On April 19, relatives began arriving and we hosted my cousin & his wife for the time over the funeral. I LOVED having them here, but it was still abnormal for my kids. On April 20 & April 21, the kids stayed in childcare at the church. The last guests left on April 23. On Saturday, April 25, after almost a month of constant fussiness, I felt like I was about to lose it. My parents were gone out of town, my one sister (as mentioned before) was in California, and the other was still battling the “sickness.” I felt so totally overwhelmed, all I could do was cry. It was then that I entertained thoughts of having private church.
Maybe God put the idea in my head. I think He wanted to remind me that He loves me and I will not be consumed. I think He wanted to reassure me that he will provide for us. I think he wanted me to find myself in surroundings quiet enough to hear His voice. In short, He summoned me for a private audience.
Thanks, Your Highness. It was just what this weary princess needed.
