Remembering God's Promises on the Journey Back to Africa

It's been quite awhile since I have written. Needless to say I have been busy in life. I am definately feeling the need to slow down and pay attention to the things that matter most in life. My last breath here on Earth could be tomorrow so I need to remember to live that way. I think of that and it brings up in me an ache for God. An ache to be with Him, closer to Him even now. Thanks to Jesus Christ's death on a cross people who believe in him will get to be with God for all eternity, dwelling in His Love, dancing with joy, and breathing deep of His unimaginable peace. I know that even when I stretch the depths of my imagination I still cannot grasp just what it will be like in Heaven. I do know I long to go there when my days here are up. I trust God that He has ordered my steps as His word says and ordained my days. On the topic of limited time here on Earth, have you thought about what you want to do with the rest of yours? Sure we have all thought about it, and thought about what we wanted to accomplish, where we wanted to travel or see, or who we wanted to be with or who we wanted to be like - but, have we really thought about what He desires for us to accomplish, the plans He wants us to fulfill, the places He wants us to travel, and who He wants us to be like? I know these are hard questions, and at the same time I know these are some of the most important questions we can ask ourselves. His plans for our lives are so much better than anything we could want for ourselves. A book I was reading today brought questions like these up to me today, and the author Melvin Cheatham asked me to answer these questions honestly to myself before turning the page:

~Do you want to make a difference by responding to God's call to love the world?
~Have I taken the time to be quiet and listen so I can hear God's voice?
~ How will I answer the question, "What have you done for Me, in the living of your life?"

That last question hit me hard. I know one day all of us will be in front of the Lord face to face and we must answer this question. What did I do for Him while I was on Earth? I thank God that as believers we do not need to worry about trying with our own might to explain away all our sin. No, by saying yes to Jesus we are allowing his blood to cover us too so that we are forgiven and permitted to dwell eternally in Heaven, a place we ourselves could not ever deserve on our own. We don't have to feel guilt, shame, or fear. With Jesus in our hearts we truly begin living. We were all created by Him and for Him alone, and when we live in this light we can truly feel complete. The truth of the matter is nothing else in this life can satisfy us except for the love of God. He made us that way! That we would find our purpose in Him. I am including this new song by Mercy Me, one of my favorite groups, which captures some of the very realizations that come when I find myself answering those questions mentioned above. The reality is that Jesus could come back to Earth at any time, my next breath could be my final breath. One thing is for sure - it will be in the blink of an eye. There will be no time to think about it, no time to change what I did or did not do here on Earth, no time to say "I am sorry" or "I love you", no further opportunity to ask for forgiveness or lead someone to Christ. The book of my life will be closed, and what can I tell God about what all the pages in between contained?

In the Blink of An Eye
by Mercy Me

You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe

Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine

In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

And though I'm living a good life
Can my life be something great?
I have to answer the question
Before it's too late

Cause in a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

If I give the very best of me
That becomes my legacy
So tell me what am I waiting for?
What am I waiting for?

In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given

In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye