I know you’ve felt the pressure of time. The feeling that there is never enough of it. We always run out of it. Whether it’s on an assignment for school, a project for a job, the special moments with your children who grow up, or a dear loved one’s life that has been lost.
I have felt the weight of it this year like I never have before. I am newly in my 30’s, which I know is young, but the older I get, the more I realize how fast it all goes by. Loss, death, grief… it’s all around me.
It has me thinking about the reality of what Heaven will be like. I have never been one to think about Heaven very much. I think when we are young we tend to be more consumed with life here in the flesh.
Now when I think of Heaven, I find so much peace knowing I will see loved ones again and we will have all of eternity with each other. But even as I write the words here, they seem cliche… “They’re in a better place…” people say. Or, “we will see them again some day.”
But the pain of death and loss strike so much deeper than cliche words could ever reach. When you experience the reality of someone being here with you and then completely gone, nothing can nudge you out of it.
That’s powerful to reflect on. My heart is heavy here and now as I miss my loved ones who have passed on.
God designed time as it is for us. I don’t know why, but if He designed it, doesn’t that mean He lives outside of it? He is not defined or confined by it. He controls it. He oversees it. If we were created in the image of the Timeless God and we get to be His children, that means eternity is in our DNA… it’s part of our destiny.
Can we wake up to this truth?
In Ecclesiastes chapter 3, the author writes, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can” (Ecc. 3:11-12 italics added).
So what does that look like? How can we be more present? How can we be less distracted? How can we wake up to what is here and now?
The key is Jesus. The only way to eternity is Jesus because He died and rose again making a way for us to enter into the presence of the Father. And eternity doesn’t start when our bodies die. Eternity starts when we surrender to Jesus. Not die IN the flesh, but die TO the flesh to be alive in Christ. If we fix our eyes on Him, eternity starts now.
“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will find it” (Matt. 16:25).
In my own life, here are some of the things I do to help me be more present:
- Prayer and meditation: spending intentional time with God in solitude and silence.
- Exercise: Running is my favorite, but also strength train, walk, hike, bike, etc.
- Worship through song: singing praises to God, playing my guitar, volunteering on worship team at church.
- Getting outside: I mentioned hiking, running and biking. But also- kayaking, camping, just sitting in the yard and listening to the birds.
- Spending quality time socially with friends and family: have meaningful conversations, ask questions, laugh and enjoy each other.
Keep in mind, though, the goal here is not to make time slow down. That’s not going to happen. I selfishly wish that were the case. The idea is to be so present and aware of your connection with God and others, that time doesn’t even cross your mind. If we have all of eternity, then there’s no reason to be anxious about the passing of time. I am preaching to the choir on that one, but it’s the truth.
If you are experiencing loss right now, my heart is heavy for you. I know the pain is sometimes unbearable. My prayer is that this grief will awaken you to the present moment and every moment that follows; that it will lead you into a depth of genuine and gentle character you never knew was possible; the kind that—when others encounter it— it makes them feel safe, seen and instantly loved. I pray it doesn’t define you, but transforms you. I pray it lets you lose your life so you can find it.
But ultimately I hope you remember: You are Loved.
Leave a Reply