Vol 1, No. 5

June 26, 2003

Today, we’re gonna talk about something that makes nearly every one of us uncomfortable – death and garden slugs!

I’ve just finished reading Rich Mullin’s biography (which, by the by, is called Rich Mullins, an Arrow Pointing to Heaven” by James Bryan Smith) and frankly, folks, I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same!  This young man (of whom, I’m sad to say I was barely aware while he lived) has really impacted my life in a way that I never dreamed possible.

The last chapter of the book deals with the Rich’s death and also his own words concerning this uncomfortable topic.  WELL, I have finally found someone who thinks the way I do.  Death is a door we all have to walk thru to get from this feeble world into eternity.  Just a door!  The thing that makes it so frightening for most of us is that … well, nobody’s ever come back to tell us exactly what’s on the other side and how it feels to walk thru this door.  I mean, even with Jesus, we saw the suffering He went thru and we heard His words “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit” and then we saw Him resurrected, walking thru doors, eating fish, hanging out with the boys.  But that mystery part is what throws most of us.

As I’ve been ‘mewsing’ about this today (very groggily I must admit because last night was HOT and I hardly slept), I’ve been thinking about heaven.  You know, the older I get, the more ‘treasures’ there are waiting for me in heaven – I feel it getting closer all the time.  I cannot wait to see my baby again, to hug my daddy and run my fingers thru his hair, to love on my mama, and my precious Granny – OH BOY!  That’s just the start folks – count em – all the aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, teachers, preachers, music directors … the list goes on and on – and then there’s the ones I’ve only read about – Corrie ten Boom, Ethel Waters, Rich Mullins, the apostles, and JESUS!  It’s a REAL place with REAL people in REAL bodies and … okay that’s another mews – today I’m talking about how to get there.

Now, God put us here on this cracked and decaying earth for a short while – and He had a reason.  Listen to what He told Jeremiah:  “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”  (Jeremiah 1: 5)  Now if we believe that God is no respecter of persons, then this applies to all of us.  All of us may not go out to the nations but all of us have been appointed from the womb to be a prophet to somebody – maybe just your family, eh?

Remember that trite expression “some people are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good”?  Let’s think about that for a second.  If we focus on heaven 24/7 and totally ignore things around us, then how can we fulfill this “prophet to the nations” thing!  Each of us has a little audience around us that we are supposed to show what’s going on in this world and what is coming in the next.  St. Francis said:  “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.  Use words when necessary.”  Well, if our heads are in heaven but our feet don’t touch the earth, how is ANYBODY gonna figure out what’s going on ???

I have figured out that God would not have put us here on this earth if He didn’t intend for us to enjoy it – swimming in the sea, the smell of flowers in the air, the taste of that first cup of coffee in the morning, the feel of a loved one’s kiss, the sweetness of a baby’s smile, sunflowers, baby chickens, and on and on and on. 

But we must NEVER forget that this is not all there is!  What is waiting for us on the other side of the door is even better than what we have here.  We will most certainly NOT be flying around in white robes, strumming harps.  C. S. Lewis lists 5 blessings waiting for us in heaven – the last is that we will have “some sort of official position in the universe.”  This is based on Revelation 22:5 “And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light and they will reign forever and ever.”  Now think about this when you’re down in the dumps.  In order to “reign” you gotta have a position, right?  You gotta have something to be in charge over – whatever this means, it is NOT strumming harps!  (This oughta give YOU something to ‘mews’ over for awhile.)

I’m thinking about all the things I’ve still got to do, making lists of people to say “I love you” to, places I still want to see, people I want to meet, books I want to write.  (Oh, and by the way, Jesus … it’s okay for You to jump in and bust up these plans anytime You want to J )  And I want to challenge each one of you with these words by Rich Mullins:

            During one of his last concerts, he said “I abused myself

            as much as possible in the last 20 years.  Which is fine

            with me.  ‘Cause I figure, sooner or later, life’s gonna kill

            us all – you may as well go out doing something you love to

            do.  Or eating something that you like to eat.  Like

            cholesterol … So go out and live real good, and I promise

            you’ll be beat up real bad.  But a little while after you’re

            dead, you’ll be rotted away anyway. … It’s not gonna

            matter if you had a few scars.  It will matter if you

            didn’t live.”

We all could have been put here as garden slugs – think of that! – what in the WORLD is the purpose of this idiotic looking thing?!?!  But God chose us for a purpose.  He put each one of us exactly where He wanted – and in the time He wanted – for a purpose.  I’m still learning what that purpose is for my life – just as I’m feeling like a chess piece which He is moving closer and closer to “Checkmate”!  I pray that you will find your purpose and find it soon.  While we’re here on this planet, let’s live each day to the fullest, love everybody till they squeak and stop acting like “this” is all there is!

BY JOVE, I’ve got it!  I’m an “embedded prophet!” 

Martha