Someday

What do we wait for? Happiness in the form of wealth, family, power? Less work and more leisure?

As Christians, we are waiting for heaven. But for many of us, that's a vague concept. The Bible doesn't speak much on the specifics. As a young girl, when my mother died of cancer, I had some idea of a happy, warm, bright place. As an adult with a chronic, painful disease, I find myself thinking about it more often as less a vague concept and more as a real place that I will reach.

Someday.

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Isaiah 25:8-9 tells us in heaven God will wipe away every tear. We will no longer be sad, or hurt. There will be no death. There will be no death in general, no death of specific people, and no cellular death.

Now she's gone off the crazy scientist high dive, you're thinking. Cellular death?

Yes, that's important to me. Right now my cells are dying; my body does not work in the way God intended. No cellular death means the constant pain will be over!

No death, no pain, no tears.

Someday.

* * *

Luke 13:29-33 tells us that heaven will be filled with all kinds of people. When the Bible says "from north, south, east, and west," it means we are to include all people. While we are here on earth there will be wars, destruction, and hate. But when we get to heaven there will be peace.

Someday.

* * *

But all of that is someday. What about the here and now? How do we live in this painful, destructive, dying world?

Colossians 3 gives us an answer. "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. . . . But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him . . . So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Putting aside the malice and anger and lies that used to rule us; seeking to live with humility, compassion, and kindness; forgiving each other. But "beyond all these things, put on love."

Love doesn't stop the death or the physical pain here on earth, but it makes the wait bearable. The wait for someday.