(no subject)
I've got a lot of time to think while I'm at work and while this can be severely detrimental depending on the direction of my thought, I do try to steer my mind in better ways. So, I came to think on gratefulness. I am grateful to be alive. This is true on many levels, for example, had not God intervened (and my dad prayed) I might very well not even be here. I am grateful to have been born in this country, in this time (as much as I sometimes say to the contrary). In all this, God knows what He's doing, knows what He's looking for in me.
But this thought of gratefulness that came to me at work was more extreme than these. It was this: Suppose I had been born in a non-world, with no matter even to interact with. Suppose I had been born dead, but aware of it. Suppose my every experience all my life had been nothing but pain and bitterness. Suppose I had been cast onto the shores of hell itself.
But then suppose that from this awfulness, this terror, I had been rescued. Delivered from waking death, from nothingness and darkness and pain. Delivered not to anything worse, for nothing could be worse than hell, but to something that only gets better. An ever increasing pleasure. I think such a man as this, would count all life as blessing, as shockingly new and refreshing. As building to something greater than himself. This man would live his life in newness and his joy would be full. Every cup of water he drinks, he would savor it like a man who had died of thirst. Every hot day he weathered, he would rejoice in it as one who had long been in the cold. And so with all that exists, light and laughter and music and friendship and adventure- he would savor every moment of it.
And so the challenge of my thought, why not live like this man? His experience is not too far off the mark after all. I was saved from a life that was headed to hell, saved by my Jesus in His death for me. He did not stay dead, but three days after He died, He rose to life again and now is alive forevermore. One day, He will come back for me and all the others throughout time that He has saved from death in hell. He will raise us up like Him and we will live with Him forever. Jesus is my Savior and He is my Lord. This is the Good News that I have heard and believe.
But this thought of gratefulness that came to me at work was more extreme than these. It was this: Suppose I had been born in a non-world, with no matter even to interact with. Suppose I had been born dead, but aware of it. Suppose my every experience all my life had been nothing but pain and bitterness. Suppose I had been cast onto the shores of hell itself.
But then suppose that from this awfulness, this terror, I had been rescued. Delivered from waking death, from nothingness and darkness and pain. Delivered not to anything worse, for nothing could be worse than hell, but to something that only gets better. An ever increasing pleasure. I think such a man as this, would count all life as blessing, as shockingly new and refreshing. As building to something greater than himself. This man would live his life in newness and his joy would be full. Every cup of water he drinks, he would savor it like a man who had died of thirst. Every hot day he weathered, he would rejoice in it as one who had long been in the cold. And so with all that exists, light and laughter and music and friendship and adventure- he would savor every moment of it.
And so the challenge of my thought, why not live like this man? His experience is not too far off the mark after all. I was saved from a life that was headed to hell, saved by my Jesus in His death for me. He did not stay dead, but three days after He died, He rose to life again and now is alive forevermore. One day, He will come back for me and all the others throughout time that He has saved from death in hell. He will raise us up like Him and we will live with Him forever. Jesus is my Savior and He is my Lord. This is the Good News that I have heard and believe.