These summer nights have been so lovely with the glow of the sun’s rays splitting through the green leaves of the trees. Beckoning to come and linger awhile in the warmth of the air, the smell of the wildflowers, and the sound of the crickets in the thicket.
We have several patches of berries on the land that we own. If you take a walk in the middle of July, the deep purple berries will catch your eye on the edge of almost every section of wood. My daughter and I love to take evening walks together, and so when we do, we make sure to bring a container for berries with us.
In our summer sundresses sandals, we venture out into the dusk of the evening. The woods call our name, whispering to come and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation all around. We see bunnies, squirrels, deer, robins, geese, and many more cute little critters. The woods seem alive, and you can’t help but want to join in.
Last night, while we were walking and picking berries, we were being pelted with mosquito bites on every open area of skin. We were slapping them and hopping around trying to avert their sting. Along with the mosquito bites, we had gotten into a nasty patch of brambles. The prickers were stabbing us relentlessly while we were picking their berries. The pain seemed endless.
And we began to ponder what it would be like without the sting of the mosquito and the prick of the brambles as we picked fruit, and we thought of heaven and the new earth. What a glorious thought. To be in heaven one day, with our Savior, with no pain, no tears, no mosquitoes, and no thorns. I can imagine a gloriously green orchard with every fruit one can think of. An endless sea of fruit for all eternity.
Adam and Eve were able to live in a similar garden. With trees full of fruit, with no sin, with no doubt, with no fear, anger, jealousy, selfishness, bitterness, or ANY sin. My mind lingers on what it must be like. It must be the best place imaginable. And this place is possible! Only through the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Savior. The One who broke the gates of heaven open for His followers, his children. Do you know this Savior?
How thankful I am to be counted as one of His. How thankful I am that He chose me. Before the foundations of the earth were formed, He knew me. He knew my name would be written down in the Book of Life. And I would be His child, His dearly beloved.
And now, here on earth, I pray that I may serve Him. Serving Him by serving my husband and children, my church, my community, in the name of my Heavenly Father. He is the One I aim to please. In all I do, I desire to serve Him.
Though I fail miserably. Each and every moment. I am so desperate for His grace to carry me through each and every day. My mind so often gets drawn to myself, to the world, to the flesh of what I want. So I go back to the Word to find HIS WILL for my life. In His Word, I find that He calls me to love Him above all things. In His Word, I find that He wants me to love my husband and children. Not just tolerate them or put up with them, but an intense feeling of deep affection toward them. This is the love that He calls me to. He also calls me to be busy at home as a homemaker. He calls me to be chaste, to be holy, to be good, to be kind. He calls me to be hospitable without complaining. He calls me to wholeheartedly worship Him. Daily. Moment by moment, placing my trust in Him, my joy in Him, my life IN. HIM. And then when I take back the things out of worry and stir them up in my mind of what bad things could happen, or what could go wrong, I am called to repent and lay it back again at His throne. He has all these things under control! He is working all things for my good, and I must trust Him. I must trust Him even for the hard times, the good times, the sad times, and the fun times.
Stepping out into creation with my daughter is a glimpse into our lives, filled with the thorns of sin and the sting of pain. But God takes that sin away, and we can have JOY in Him as we look forward to the day when we will worship Him face to face with no sin. No pain. And no tears. What a day that will be when My Jesus I see.