Eternal Minds
"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city to come." Hebrews 13:14
I remember one of the first conversations Dorothy and I had was about eternity. I didn't know her well at all, and I'll admit I was trying a little bit to impress her with some good conversational skills. At the very least, I wanted her to know what I was about, and I certainly didn't want to be about small talk. I wanted her to see that on the top of my list of cares, I cared about things above.
I was talking about my thoughts on heaven, what heaven will be like when we get there. I don't remember exactly how it came up in conversation, but I was sharing how I have this picture of heaven in my head where every believer is sitting at a round table that fits us all, and we each take a turn to tell our life story, sharing who we were on earth, how Jesus saved us, and not neglecting any important details. As each person shared, slowly every believer present would start to see how all our lives connected and intersected. We would see how one thing we did affected another, until the very end. I imagine this would bring up plenty of extra side discussions as these realizations happen, and of course this would take a very long time, but that would be okay because we have eternity.
Anyhow, it was fun to talk about, and the conversation left an impression on both of us enough for us to keep recalling it as time passed in our days together. Different situations kept arising in our life, really hard ones or just somewhat hard ones. Through these different times, the only answer that gave us peace was eternity. Knowing that we do not belong here, we belong somewhere else. Death of a family member, being separated thousands of miles across the world, difficulty in communication, death of a loved child, tragic world events... all these things made us ask the questions "Why?" and "How?", and in these moments we have strived to remember that there are better, more perfect days ahead. Days with no pain, doubt, or fear. We will finally be in a place we were created to be forever.
Until then, we live each day knowing that this place we call home for now is filled with all sorts of emotions that we would rather not feel, but must feel. We can expect pain and suffering on this earth. We can hold on hope knowing that this is not the end. We can be comforted by Jesus, how he came to this place and suffered for us, and suffers with us. We will live life together sharing in this.
Life is full of choices. Will we be quick or slow to choose the things that impact the now, that add to our present comfort?
In case we may forget, this is our mission statement that we will point each other back to. Aaron and Dorothy, living with bodies on this earth and with minds set on heaven.
and for eternity.
"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:2-4 ESV
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 ESV