Good morning,
It was just six years ago this Sunday on the 11th of December that the Lord surprised us by taking George, Marty’s husband and my good friend, out of this world and into the next. All the Christmas plans were put on hold and George and I never did get the shrimp broil that Marty said she was going to prepare for us. Marty and I were talking about this as the weekend was coming up and then we got a call from her son that all the grandkids would be here in California for this weekend as well. We jumped in the car and were able to spend Saturday afternoon talking with the grandkids about what was going on in their lives as well as what happened on that graduation day. As we talked, we came up with of a list of gifts that the Lord had waiting for George that were better than anything he could have ever gotten here.
For starters, he got to see Jesus face to face. After that wonderful welcome, and when he could check out what happened to his worn out body, he saw that his body was like Jesus’ body. (II Cor. 5:1) He was gifted with a new mind (I Cor. 2:16) that could take in and understand things from heaven’s perspective. Now he had a pure and holy heart (Luke 10:27) that could take in the joy and the reality of being in the presence of his Father God, his Savior and the heavenly angels gathered around him. And then all around him, were the people from the past who were waiting to welcome him (I Thes. 2:19,20) and get him started on his way to the place Jesus had prepared for him to call home. (John 14:1-3) He also discovered that he was now officially considered a citizen of the new Jerusalem (Rev. 3:12) and he was given a white stone with a new name that only he would understand that would belong to him throughout eternity.(Rev. 2:17) As he walked along he glanced at a golden reflection of himself and he saw that he also shone with the same kind of glory as those around him (Rom. 8:17) and that he had a tattoo on his forehead that eternally identified him as one of God’s eternal family.(Rev. 22:4) Then,what joy, as he realized that he had left death and the curse that came with it behind forever. (Rev. 22:3). I am sure that there was more, but I don’t think that George was disappointed with the gifts that Jesus gave him that day. Just think, that’s the welcome that is waiting for us who have been faithful when we get there too.
Colossians 3: 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
Roy Wisner
