The Other Side - Pt 1

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:27-30 ESV).

In 1952, Florence Chadwick tried to swim from Catalina Island to the coast of California. For fifteen hours, she endured choppy waters, possible shark attacks, and extreme fatigue. Then a thick fog set in. She gave up. Two months later, she tried again. This time, though it was foggy again, she made it. When asked what made the difference, she said, “The first time all I could see was the fog. The second time I kept a mental image of that shoreline in my mind while I swam.” For me, Chadwick’s comment gives a great image of how heaven should function in our lives as we follow Jesus. In order to persevere through the fog and fatigue of life, we need a mental image of the eternal shoreline toward which we swim. But if you’re like me, you tend to think about heaven far less than you should. More days than I would like to admit it’s completely absent from my mind. I have found, however, that when I do think about heaven, I am always better. It is strange that there are so many misunderstandings and misconceptions about heaven. So, on the heels of my birthday yesterday, let’s look at some important things that will help us persevere with a clear view of that shore in mind! Several of these features are somewhat surprising. They are the qualities we often forget about heaven, parts of the shoreline most likely to be overlooked. The first is that everyone is equal in heaven. When I picture myself in heaven, it is easy to forget that I won’t look then like I look here. I am much closer to the end of my life than the beginning. Even if I live to be 100 years old that means a lot more of my life has passed than is yet to be. Now I have both the physical and mental characteristics of my age. I may be a bit more robust than others my age, and a bit less robust than others. I must remember that the physical age is of no consequence once I reach that shore. Everyone in heaven will have a perfected resurrection body (cf. Matthew 22:30). So here is a happy thought: regardless of how much I decline here, I am only getting better! So, living through anything this life has is nothing compared to that hope! Keep going… never give up!