Observation Summary

It was observation day and parents and grandparent were invited to come and see the playground, sit in the classroom room and watch the daily routine of William's life at school. Oh course I jumped on that opportunity. His teacher Marcy, happens to be a friend of mine form years back, and he talks of her quite often, so I was more than interested to see the set up and how things worked, and to see her! Might even get some hints for how to do a better job when kids are at my house. It was only a 30 minute window, but there is something about not only hearing about a spot but actually seeing it so that you can visualize it in future conversations.

Jennifer and Jon and I signed the guest book, put on our nametags and began our quest on the playground meeting and greeting his friends. They were new faces to me of course but familiar to the parents. Then we were invited to enter the classroom following the processions of the students. Small classes. Big classroom. And we sat in little chairs and watched and asked occasional questions as his teacher carefully guided them through their designated chores. My heart was full, for I loved seeing where he hung out each day, and with whom. William was proud, and happy and most content to have an audience of folks who adored him. And then it was over. But before we left we were asked to give William our name tags. He knew the drill, and carefully took each of our sticky ID's and stuck them on his tummy, in free style four year old fashion. Those were his badges of pride that he would wear through his day.

Now just imagine for a minute if we were invited to the heavens to observe Christ in his own domain. Just for a few minutes. We would not need name tags, for he knows not only our names but how many hairs that we have upon our heads. We would not need to sign in, for he knows our comings and goings, but we might need a guide to introduce us to favored friends, and show us the lay of his land and his delegated posts of activity. What do you think we would learn by seeing? By listening? And what could we possibly leave behind that would be a badge of pride to God.

Imagine, hard to do? For we imagine based on the tangibles that we know and have read and have gathered from experiences. My senses would be activated to heights I know I could hardly breathe through. And a spring of tears would be my first badge that I would leave behind. For I would ask...who am I to be invited to experience this? And he might reply... you are my child who has been embraced by my love and grace since the moment you were born. I have done not one thing to deserve my standing in his grace and am awed to the point of inexpressible heights that his gift of salvation has covered me in its entirety without conditional bounds.

What would I learn? I would learn that nothing that I could imagine in the framework of this earth could possibly prepare me for the holy and majestic surroundings of my God who reigns and has authority over all living things from his heavenly throne. My badge of senseless pride would be at his feet. For I am nothing without the splendor of the grace of God, and my worth lies entirely in the hands of my creator.

What would I see? I would see what true peace and joy looked like first hand, without even a glimpse of distraction. I would see that all the small stuff that I had sweated had been useless and would surely gain a perspective of trust and faith that only God himself could transfer to me by his holiness. My badge of temporal control would be left at his feet. For it is God who has the final say in all things. And as long as I seek to follow Him and not contend with my own self centered desires, there I will find His peace.

But the one thing I have been reminded by in going through his little exercise is we don't know what heaven will be like. We can only imagine. But we can imagine based on a truth that lies deep in the swells of our heart. A truth that God is who he says he is, and does what he says he is going to do. He is perfect, and his plans are perfect and on that we must trust. We are on a training ground right now in this life...training to have and establish a relationship and trust in Christ and with Christ that has no bounds. There is no hardship, no grief, no situation or no distraction that keeps us from the love of Christ and from the grace of Christ. He is sufficient for all our needs, we need not look for substitutes.

I leave with God my badge of pride, my badge of control, my tears, and my yearnings for things that do not line up with his
purposes for my life. May I seek his way, trust his nudges,
and not be continually distracted by small stuff that has no merit of worthiness. It is my deepest request that God transform me each day to be a closer likeness to his image, that I might be a reflection of his light and love.

1 Corinthians 15:40
There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.

For Christ is more than I know my mind can humanly comprehend, and as I am able each day to visit his kingdom through my prayers and my relationship, I am blessed to know that where he is I will be also. For now it is the earth, for eternity, it is his heaven.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the exercise! Amen





Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!