Because of eternal life I give thanks in the meantime. Yesterday I gave thanks for steady rain that watered the earth without flooding. I was also thankful to live in a solid building that kept me dry throughout the lengthy showers. I thanked God for the breeze that rang the wind chimes He allowed me to find that suited my budget, and that my hearing also permitted me to enjoy the robin’s rain song.
Because of eternal life I give thanks in the meantime.
Even this virus quarantine hasn’t disturbed me much. I give thanks that my parents are already in eternal life. Mom no longer has cause to fret as she was prone to do here. I give thanks for nearly daily glimpses I get of my brother’s family via social media. I am thankful for writing friends I know from across the continent and the Pacific Ocean, also via social media.
Scripture passages like Job 19:25, and 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, which have been combined with powerful music, lift my mind away from any focus on temporary, irritating things. Instead, I can concentrate on the hope of a resurrected, and redeemed body that will function without handicap or hindrance. Because of eternal life, I give thanks in the meantime.
God’s word gives me unexpected reminders of what is to come.
Luke 16 begins with a well-known parable, and closes with some pointed teaching on trustworthy behavior and the flaw of divided loyalty. But, right in the middle, there’s this: “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
God gave me my mind, and expects me to use it, but it may take a good-sized portion of my eternal life to figure this verse out. From my observation of friendships in this world, the practice of gaining friends by wealth is suspect. There’s a striking difference between real friends and “hangers-on.” Could this also be an opportunity to laugh about God’s sense of humor? Because of eternal life I give thanks in the meantime.
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Ruth DeMaat
Heidi Kortman