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Thanksgiving in Three Dimensions

 

Just a few days ago, Carol and I stood with our family at the graveside

of her mother. 

Mom Cole went home to be with the Lord at 11:35 am on Wednesday, November 18.

 

As we shared Scripture and prayer and some wonderful memories of Mom, I was overwhelmed with gratitude -- for her life, for her positive legacy and, most of all, for the unfailing assurances of our loving and trustworthy Lord Jesus.  He was the most important hope-giver at that graveside in North Carolina last week.

 

During this Thanksgiving week, we can be filled with thankfulness in at least 3 dimensions:

 

1/  The here and now.

Isn’t it great to be alive - to inhale fresh air, to move (most of the time) without pain, to hold babies, to chase toddlers, to talk with teens, to witness the breath-taking shades of nature, to hold a loved one, to laugh outloud, to enjoy chocolate, to worship in spirit and truth, to love Jesus back, to sing like nobody’s listening, to pray for a friend, to walk in the woods!

Let’s not miss the wonder and delight of living life to the full - here and now -  enjoying the “abundance” (John 10: 10b) that Jesus promises.

2/  The then and there.

Imagine, just imagine what it will be like to see Jesus face to face, and to be reunited with loved ones.

Last week, one of Mom Cole’s young granddaughters reflected on the wonderful fact that Grandma and Grandpa were together in heaven.  Her picture was so clear that she insisted, “I’ll bet they already kissed.”

 

For sure, we don’t know precisely how the reunions will occur,  but we do know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, (2Cor 5:8).   We know that we will have new bodies like Jesus’ resurrected body (Phil. 3:21 ) and we know that God will wipe away all tears and sadness and mourning (Rev. 21:4).

 

3/  The In-Between

At times, especially when we are in the valley of the shadow or we are on the mountaintop of joy, we can feel somehow “in-between.”  We know intellectually we are very much on earth, but we feel almost lifted above our ordinary life - if just for a moment.

The Apostle John felt like this when he wrote the book of The Revelation.   We can feel like this when our baby is born or, or conversely, when trouble and tragedy strike us.

We can simultaneously experience both the weight of the temporal and the ecstasy of the eternal, held together by the Lord’s powerful presence with us.

Words fail.

But He does not.

That is why - today and tomorrow - I am thankful for you, for the body of Christ, for family.

For the fact that God has created us with the capacity for profound gratitude, in at least three dimensions. (See 1 Thess. 5:18)

And for life to the full - here and now, then and there, and in all of our

in-between places - because of Him!


Have a Blessed Thanksgiving

JPW

Dr. John P. Williams, Jr.

General Superintendent
11.24.10

 
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