We have been discussing what it means to go to heaven and Jack said he was going to be graduating to heaven. It made me think about the accomplishments of the last 11 years, since he was given six months to live with lung and brain cancer, strokes, seizures, skin cancer, last year prostrate cancer and now cancer for the 5th time Leukemia LMA. With all the wonderful ways he (we) have been able to serve God over the last 11 years because of his diagnoses. I really hope this time makes the most difference for all of you.
There are several milestone graduations in our lives, we graduate from kindergarten first. We learn a bunch of stuff that doesn't really make sense to us at the time, but they are things we will carry with us forever, socialization skills, playing different games etc. then we graduate from elementary school with a whole new set of skills, learning the alphabet, numbers, reading and writing and how to play a recorder (do you remember those unsanitary instruments?) 😛 yuck.
Next comes middle school, then high school the big one. we get dressed up wear Gowns and Caps🎓 and say goodbye to our friends. It is a sad time, It is a fun time (maybe some gifts and parties), I'll never tell the crazy things we did and neither should you David and Sarah), It is like a right of passage after all those tests, reports, ball games and new experiences. It is also a dangerous time, a time when we tend to step away from God. Some more than others. Then we go about figuring out our lives one step at a time, college, jobs, then careers, kids, entertainment and challenges (that's if we are lucky).
At some point we will face the final graduation, the one Jack was talking about. The one in which all of the previous things will be judged, like reading and writing was judged by your teachers God will look at what you have done with the one chance you had. Did you spend it wrapped up in what was important to you? Did you think of others first? How have you made other people's lives better? Have you read the text book he gave us? (the Bible). Have you tried to be like Him, emulated the Son He gave us? (not long ago I heard someone refer to the B.I.B.L.E as the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) Have you read it or just let others read it to you? Have you studied it or dismissed it?
Jack will graduate to heaven soon and it is hard to think about for me. Not for him, but for me the one left here, the selfish one. He knows the Bible better than anyone I know. He has done all he can to help others. I have always thought that God wants the good ones to be with him and Jack is one of the good ones.
It is all foretold in Ecclesiastes 3 (it's not just a good song by The Byrds)To everything there is a season,
and a time for every purpose under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to break down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together,
a time to search and a time to count as lost,
a time to keep and a time to discard,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
3 comments:
Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers. Knowing that Jack has heard our stories from the past made me smile and laugh and think back about all our adventures together over all these years.
Wrapping you & Jack up with lots of hugs and I keep you both close in my prayers! ❤️
You both are in our thoughts and prayers. I already miss hugging and kissing my brother, I know it is for his best right now, but as I said tonight during our visit, I will make up for it when we all get to Heaven. I was going to remind Jack of something I heard, I think it was D. L. Moody, but it could have been another preacher. He said if you hear I am dead, don't believe it, I will be more alive than ever! Billy and I love you both and are so thankful we have all of eternity to spend together. Just a short time and we will be there praising our LORD! Call if you need us for anything! Hope to see y'all again this week.
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