This past summer our whole family headed south for vacation. We got to spend some time with our extended family in South Carolina. Our first night there we had a great cook-out with our Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary Jane, who are committed Christians. It was a bit rainy that night, and I held an umbrella over Uncle Jack as he grilled the hotdogs and hamburgers. We had a great time.
Little did I know that less than two weeks later, dear Uncle Jack would be in heaven.
This past week, we received a Christmas letter from Aunt Mary Jane that included the following introductory note and poem:
Dear Family and Friends,
After Jack went to be with the Lord, in our safe I found this poem with a request I copy it and give it to our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren his first Christmas in heaven. It was dated Sept. 8, 1998 -- over fourteen years ago. He was anticipating heaven before he went! Though he is greatly missed, it's a comfort to know he's happier than he's ever been!
I've had my first Christmas in heaven
A glorious, wonderful day.
I stood with the saints of all ages,
Who found Christ the Truth and the Way.
I sang with the heavenly choir,
Just think, I who loved so to sing,
And oh, what celestial music
We brought to our Savior and King.
We sang the glad songs of redemption,
How Jesus to Bethlehem came,
And how they had called his name Jesus,
That all might be saved through His name.
We sang once again with the angels,
The song that they spoke that blest morn,
When shepherds first heard the glad story
That Jesus, the Savior, was born.
Oh dear ones, I wish you had been there,
No Christmas on earth could compare
With all the rapture and glory
We witnessed in heaven so fair.
You know how I always loved Christmas,
It seemed such a wonderful day,
With all my loved ones around me,
The children so happy and gay.
Yes, now I can see why I loved it,
And oh, what a joy it will be
When you and my loved ones are with me
To share the rich glories I see.
So, dear ones on earth, here are my greetings,
Look up till the day dawn appears
And oh, what a Christmas awaits us
Beyond our parting tears.
Uncle Jack's poem, along with Aunt Mary Jane's introductory note, tie in beautifully with some reading I did earlier this week. In his book, Lost in the Middle, author Paul David Tripp directs the reader's attention to the reality of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:13-19) and the ultimate victory that we have in Christ because of it. The apostle John gives us a glimpse of this in Revelation chapter five, which describes the magnificent scene in heaven with God's people gathered around His throne. It is a scene of unprecedented celebration centered on God's redeeming, victorious work through Christ.
It is a celebration that never ends. An eternal party. A family reunion you never want to leave ... and won't. It is God's kingdom come.
Here's the point, in the words of Paul Tripp:
The only way you can make sense out of life is to look at it from the vantage point of eternity. Eternity defines, motivates, and clarifies the life God has called us to.
... What is really worth celebrating? What is really worth mourning? Force yourself to use the values of eternity as your measuring tool for the here and now.
... Are you magnetized by eternity? Can you see it in the distance and so keep marching forward?
... The bad news is that we will all weep our way into eternity. ... The good news is that you have been guaranteed a day when all of this will end. What you will experience in eternity will far outweigh the pain you went through in the present.
Amen. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face all sorrows will erase. So let's bravely run the race till we see Christ.