Things To Come

It seems the further I walk in my Christian life, the more I learn how little I know. How does one come to grips with the imminent, almost haunting glory of eternity? We are strange creatures - part flesh and part spirit, wholly fallen and wholly redeemed. We live in the now-but-not-yet: we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and exiles at the same time. Our spirits fly toward that blessed kingdom, and yet our bodies - our earthly tents - keep us from it. So then, what do our spirits see that our eyes cannot? Have you ever listened?

I stand upon a shining beach, and a golden sea stretches out before me. It is a sea of pure glory, in some parts raging and in some parts calm, but all more beautiful than any earthly sight. I long to jump in, to immerse myself in the glow of eternity, to swim like a creature made to give words to the praise that sea demands! An exultant eternity at the foot of God's throne - a completion of everything in me and an overflow too powerful to describe.

When haunted by such visions, is it even possible to see present circumstances as worrying? Can I respond with anything less than my whole life? My passion pushes me to such heights that I wonder why more Christians don't burn out trying to save the world - there can be no selfishness confronted by such visions. My own life stands bare and unfulfilled by these criteria, and I rage at myself every day for opportunities missed and life wasted!

I must learn to put eternity before me, to think fast and react faster, to flood glory and love into this world, to return this world to the purpose it was created for! Lord help me, before the tension of your promise burns me up!