Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Praise God for a New Year
2008 is already starting to speed by, but I still feel the joy of a new beginning. I love a new start. I love that God gives us a new day every day to forget about the past (past mistakes, of course). And I love a new year to renew my commitment to God, to living for Him, and remembering this world is not my home, it's only a short time until Jesus comes. Have you been filling up your calendar for 2008 with all the many projects and meetings and commitments already building up for this year?
Did you know that Martin Luther said that “today” and “that Day” were the only days on his calendar?
In 2008, I want to focus on each new "today" as another gift from God and remember with all the priorities of "today" that what happens to our destiny on "that day" is the most important thing of all. I want to remember that what I do "today" can make a difference on "that day."
I thought about this a lot last month when my Grandpa Sorensen passed away. I started thinking about his first wife, Evelyn (my grandma), who passed away when I was very young. It got me thinking about that day when Jesus comes and we are reunited with family and friends.
When I was growing up, at church campouts all us kids would sit around the campfire and sing “Side by Side we Stand.” Some of the words were “meet me in heaven, we’ll sing songs together…” I remember the words to this song now and think about who might be looking for me in heaven. When I think back to all the friends who sang that song around campfires with me, I wonder “Are any of them thinking about seeing me again when they think about heaven?” I doubt it. I can’t think of a single one of them who today might be thinking about meeting ME in heaven. Oh, I know we’ll all be happy to see each other there, but I’m talking about people who will be looking specifically for me. There is only one person who comes to mind. When I think of who will be looking for me and wanting to meet me in heaven, it’s Grandma Sorensen, Grandpa’s first wife, Evelyn. My mom has a photo of me in Evelyn’s arms when I was 2 years old. She was holding me over a kitchen sink washing my feet under the faucet. I was wearing a diaper. She died before I ever had a chance to know here, and I miss not knowing her.
When I think about “that Day,” she is always the first person I think about. What an amazing impact she had on my life by keeping the faith and by teaching her children the faith, which my father (and mother, of course) taught to me, and which I’m teaching to my children. Maybe I think of her as looking for me because she is someone I’ll be looking for. It’s odd. But now that my Grandpa has passed away, I find myself missing her. I can’t wait to see her, in her vibrant healthy body, rejoicing because she is so happy to see me.
Like me, is there someone you are anxious to see on "that day" who will also be looking for you? Let's live 2008 with today and that day in mind, so we'll be ready for that day when we can embrace our family and friends from previous generations and praise God that our journeys through life on earth are over, ready to be with Jesus and praise Him for eternity in Heaven.
Did you know that Martin Luther said that “today” and “that Day” were the only days on his calendar?
In 2008, I want to focus on each new "today" as another gift from God and remember with all the priorities of "today" that what happens to our destiny on "that day" is the most important thing of all. I want to remember that what I do "today" can make a difference on "that day."
I thought about this a lot last month when my Grandpa Sorensen passed away. I started thinking about his first wife, Evelyn (my grandma), who passed away when I was very young. It got me thinking about that day when Jesus comes and we are reunited with family and friends.
When I was growing up, at church campouts all us kids would sit around the campfire and sing “Side by Side we Stand.” Some of the words were “meet me in heaven, we’ll sing songs together…” I remember the words to this song now and think about who might be looking for me in heaven. When I think back to all the friends who sang that song around campfires with me, I wonder “Are any of them thinking about seeing me again when they think about heaven?” I doubt it. I can’t think of a single one of them who today might be thinking about meeting ME in heaven. Oh, I know we’ll all be happy to see each other there, but I’m talking about people who will be looking specifically for me. There is only one person who comes to mind. When I think of who will be looking for me and wanting to meet me in heaven, it’s Grandma Sorensen, Grandpa’s first wife, Evelyn. My mom has a photo of me in Evelyn’s arms when I was 2 years old. She was holding me over a kitchen sink washing my feet under the faucet. I was wearing a diaper. She died before I ever had a chance to know here, and I miss not knowing her.
When I think about “that Day,” she is always the first person I think about. What an amazing impact she had on my life by keeping the faith and by teaching her children the faith, which my father (and mother, of course) taught to me, and which I’m teaching to my children. Maybe I think of her as looking for me because she is someone I’ll be looking for. It’s odd. But now that my Grandpa has passed away, I find myself missing her. I can’t wait to see her, in her vibrant healthy body, rejoicing because she is so happy to see me.
Like me, is there someone you are anxious to see on "that day" who will also be looking for you? Let's live 2008 with today and that day in mind, so we'll be ready for that day when we can embrace our family and friends from previous generations and praise God that our journeys through life on earth are over, ready to be with Jesus and praise Him for eternity in Heaven.
# posted by Karen Whitson @ 12:38 PM 
