Day 4: Made to Last Forever

Well, I'm back from Tampa! I had a great time down there; myself and Craig (one of the people I have met in my Sunday School class at SBC: fellow music teacher, tennis buddy, oh, and the adjunct PROFESSOR OF PERCUSSION STUDIES at Stetson University. . . so cool) rode down together Wednesday morning, and now I'm back, and FREEZING. Apparently it snowed lightly in Orlando/Sanford/Deland area last night or early this morning. I thought I had moved away from this!

Anyway, there will be details in each of the next few entries (I'm posting four entries tonight, as individual days, so that it is easier to follow) about the trip, as well as the reflections on each chapter (which may be a little more disjointed than normal, since I didn't write complete entries but something more like notes and lists), so let's get started (because this is going to take a while).

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I can appreciate the analogy of our current life being like a dress-rehearsal for the real thing (eternity). If you have ever been involved with any kind of play (musical theater is where 95% of my experience is; the only straight play I was involved with was Arsenic and Old Lace, and I played Teddy. . . great experience, but I am not an actor by any means), then you know what tech week is like: crazy, insane, nothing is going right, people are doing their best (well, most of the time), but in the seat of the director (or music director, in my case) there can often be that frantic "THIS IS GOING TO FALL APART ON OPENING NIGHT" sensation that comes about on those last few dress rehearsals.

But then something amazing happens. The house fills up with people, the actors, musicians, and set crew wait anxiously, the lights dim, the curtain opens. . . and the magic of theater takes over. Things go pretty amazingly ("perfect" if you're lucky), and new and exciting character quirks, acting skills, singing skills (eeeek haha), and so on all of the sudden pop out of the woodwork. Everything comes together in the ways that you wanted them to in rehearsal. If you've been involved with something like that, you understand. I think going to Heaven will be like that, except 10,000x better, because it will be both perfect and beyond our wildest expectations.

We are all born with an inborn instinct for immortality. We don't understand death, and do much to attempt to prevent it, and after it happens, to honor the person who is gone. Often times it just doesn't seem right, especially when it happens to someone close to us. I think of Ian with this; he was what, 15 or 16 when he died? It seems so unfair. And sometimes it's hard to reconcile that; how did that play into God's plan? Unfortunately we don't always get to know the answer; I'm not exactly sure what Ian's death did to further God's will in the world, but I do trust that there was some kind of ripple effect, and that his life and death may have touched someone.

At the very least, it certainly makes you think more about eternity and what's going to happen to you, rather than ignoring the inevitable fact of dying.

One thing I thought about was why God created Earth, if our end is just to choose to go to Heaven or Hell anyway. Why bother with the step inbetween, and just send those who will rebel away, and keep those who will serve, trust, and obey with Him? I don't know that I have a great answer to that question yet, but I believe part of it can be found in the enjoyment there is in simple existence. I'm talking nature, the galaxy, music, math, architecture, whatever it is that gets you all excited! I don't know. Just something to think about.

It's interesting how different the things we give importance to and the things God thinks are important, and what a shift there is in our values and outlook when we finally find our paths leading towards God. Relationships, character, and integrity all of the sudden become the top priorities rather than success, popularity, and creating a archive of achievements. I will never forget Pastor McGee's analogy of integrity: he split up our class (man, I must have been in high school I think) and gave each group of us labels; things like school, home, church, work. He then went to each of the groups and acted like four completely different people as he went to each group. Then, he acted like someone with integrity and went and interacted with each group the same way. It's hard to explain any better than that: simple, but effectively done. I strive to be only one person, that guy "Integrity," and it's tough. I think, now that I'm starting to straighten my life out, it's becoming easier/better, but still. . . it's something I'm always working on.

If people that think there is nothing after death, should we be surprised that they act like life is a party and stress we should be trying to have the "best time" we can? The problem with that line of thinking is that people are generally demonstrating the definiton of selfishness (my gratification, my happiness, my success). To have a vision of eternity, however. . . oh, how life changes! Everyday occurances all of the sudden become significant interactions, and the things we were pursuing seem empty and worthless in comparision to the future we know we are destined to have! The book makes jokes about how we won't just be angels with halos, playing harps on clouds, and I agree, but I tell you what; I bet Heaven will have the BEST orchestras, bands, choruses, jazz combos, world music ensembles, etc.

And with that random hope-

Point to Ponder: There is more to life than just here and now.
This life isn't a means in and of itself. How sad if that were true!

Verse to Remember: I John 2:17- "This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever." New Living Translation
My study bible says something encouraging about this verse (and way better phrased than I could ever hope to state)-
When the desire for possessions and sinful pleasures feel so intense, we probably doubt that these objects of desire will all one day pass away. It may be even more difficult to believe that the person who does the will of God will live forever. But this was John's conviction based on the facts of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and promises. Knowing that this evil world will end can give you the courage to deny yourself temporary pleasures in this world in order to enjoy what God has promised for eternity.

Question to Consider: Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?
I need to stop wasting so much of my free time (whether I'm on the internet, on the Wii, reading fiction, etc. It's not always about what I'm doing as it is how much at a time I am doing said action. . . though I need to begin being pickier about content as well). I need to start sharing the amazing story and love of Christ to everyone else I know, so that they too can enjoy the blessings and relief of knowing where eternity will be spent!

EDIT (1-29): Look at this article. It talks about how the human brain seems naturally wired for religion, even though there is no scientific reason for it (in a nutshell; it's a long article). Did we ever stop to think that it's because THERE IS A GOD???