Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. -John 14:1-4 (NIV)
Every single believer in this world will be called when He is ready for us. But it’s not goodbye.
When our travels through this world, and the missions God needs us to accomplish, are complete, we go on to the next. We go on to live in our Father’s house, which has many mansions in it.
And when we pass through to His house, we are freed from the shackles and pains of this world. But for those who are still behind on earth, it can be very, very hard. But before we go, what can we tell their aching, sunken hearts, to give them comfort?
I would tell them that this is not goodbye, that I would see them in a little while. I’d tell them that, because God will heal me completely, I will never will be sick or in pain again, and that they would no longer have to feel stressed over my health. I would tell them that I am on my way to the very best place in the universe–total bliss–in the presence of our Heavenly Father, whose face I will finally get to see.
I would tell them that I’ll be smiling and waiting for them on the other side. I would thank them for loving me in my time with them. And I would assure them they need have no regrets, because living on this earth is hard enough without adding to our own burdens.
I would ask them to, if they can, be excited for me, and to be excited to join me when God calls them. And in the meantime? To live every moment to the fullest to make God smile. Thank and praise Him for the overflowing abundance of blessings in our lives.
I would tell them to not look to where I was or where I am, but where I’m going. I would tell them to always look up to God, no matter how dark and low things are…because He is with us even now, and we’ll all be with Him when He calls.
I’d tell them that God is happy with my completed work here on earth, and to trust that God still has amazing and wonderful plans for them ahead. This isn’t goodbye. This is just the beginning of eternal life.
Today’s soundtrack
“This Is Not Goodbye” by Sidewalk Prophets tells our loved ones that we’re not telling them goodbye, but giving them an “I love you” to take with them…and that we’ll meet again.
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