August 5 What Dreams May Come

I Thess.5:9-11 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us that whether we are awake or asleep, we may u live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up as you also are doing.

Rev. 21:3-5 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear and there shall be no longer any death; there shall no longer be any mourning or crying or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."

It' s been a week already since our vacation stay in a little (one room) log cabin in the hills of Pennsylvania, and I still feel refreshed when I think of it. Virtually no cell or Internet service, at the end of a dirt road, our little cabin provided one of the most refreshing retreats we have enjoyed. The cabin did have a TV and video player and a few videos, one of which was What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams about the life of a man whose children die, who dies himself, and whose wife follows him into the afterlife by suicide. Because she has taken her own life, she is not allowed into heaven...that's the crux of the film. And for various reasons, I loved this movie.

The next movie we watched (it was supposed to be a comedy) was made in the '30's, and the theme again was the afterlife as you follow one man into his experience of hell and a sort of redemption.

We had not planned on watching either of these movies, so I cannot call the timing anything other than a God-thing and purposeful, even if the purpose was only to make me think a bit about the reality of the next life, or should it be called the continuation of this life for the believer.

I used to think that when I left this earthly life for heaven that I would not be able to open my eyes, the glory of God would be so brilliant. And honestly, I couldn't get a lot farther in my imagination of what it would all be like. However, I am thinking something much differently right now. I wonder what it will be like in a place of perfect love. To wake up in the presence of the One Who loves me without limits, without conditions. Will it be as an earthly child runs into the arms of her daddy at the end of the day, we will run into His arms? Will we be finished with our own fears and doubts? Will our eagerness to love Him back and to glorify Him control us?

Ah, there's the thought. Do we really love Him now? Do we seek now to glorify Him first, over self? Funny how what was supposed to be a bit of entertainment can be used by God to get our attention.