A Time to Die

Hebrews 9:27 "...it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement:"

   So often, when I hear this verse being quoted, it is being used to show the importance of making a decision about salvation. I used to look at it strictly in that sense as well. It was a sobering, often frightening verse. But I don't see it that way anymore. Now, when I hear or read that verse, it brings comfort and peace. "It is appointed unto man ONCE to die." I can only die one time, and God knows exactly when that moment is. To a person such as myself who finds it very easy to fear, this is a comforting thought.

  It's a wet, rainy evening tonight. I was listening to sirens going by after I got home. The sound made me think about how often God has protected me on the road. Of course, from there I thought about other times He has protected me from different things. I have absolutely no doubt that He he has a job for me to do here...if I didn't have a purpose, I probably would have been killed in a car wreck years ago! Why else did my car somehow miss wrapping itself around that street light last year?

Once Upon a Time in America

    There is nothing so relaxing or entertaining as a good story. I’m going to tell you one. Curl up in that favorite place. Maybe it’s by the fire on a cold winter day or in a comfortable chair with your favorite blanket. Maybe you are sprawled on your stomach across your bed, or laying on the floor, propping up your head with your hand. Maybe you’re outside on a comfortable wooden swing overlooking a backyard or a lake. Maybe you’re sitting beside the pool or under your favorite tree. Maybe you’re a traitor, sitting with an e-reader or in front of a computer. Wherever you are, let go, and let the words carry you away. 

     Once upon a time, there was a land, a country, a people. Against terrible odds, they won their freedom because they stood together, believing in a dream that some reading today would call foolish or impossible. Oh, but never underestimate the power of a dream. Dreams become ideas, ideas become passions, and passion can carry a person on through unimaginable opposition.

What a Day!

There is coming a day
When no headache shall come
No more children screaming, "Why?"
No more punching in the eye
And the fits shall be no more
As they all walk out the door
What a day, glorious day that will be!

What a day that will be
When no children wait for me
No more hands upon my face
Crying, "Lord, please give me grace."
And finally I can say
"Thank you God! It is Friday!"
What a day, glorious day that will be!

Through the Wall

     I had an active imagination as a child. (Still do, in fact.) I used this imagination to create people, places, and worlds. One of my favorite creations was a very special garden.
     This garden was surrounded by a wall. Unlike a normal wall, however, this wall was impenetrable. The gate could only be opened by me. No one could scale the wall, and, although you could see the sky, somehow the world could not see in. Beyond the garden was a beautiful ocean. But there was a special barrier that kept people out. This place was completely isolated. Completely safe. It was my sanctuary.
     I could walk through a plethora of flowers. Many of them didn't have names that I knew, but they were beautiful, all contributing to the sweet smell of the air. The trees were tall and always green, providing perfect shade for the most comfortable benches. Clearings of thick grass were perfect for spreading blankets for a picnic or an afternoon reading. There was always a perfect breeze blowing. Never was the air stale or heavy.
    No matter what my musing conjured, it was the place I could run to for safety. Safety from evil stepmothers, Imperial Stormtroopers, bad guys with guns...whatever riffraff I came up with. If my mind took me into a situation I couldn't handle, I would run to the garden. Sometimes I would bring a friend, but I usually preferred the solitude.
     Over time, the garden evolved. It became a completely undetectable series of caves (bright as day, of course) behind a waterfall. An entire world. The most recent form was an invisible barrier. This barrier was present in many places. Going through it would transport me to another world. To the people chasing me, it would seem as if I simply disappeared into thin air. Others could go through the barrier, but only if they were touching me, and only if I allowed them to come.

     The point is, no matter what form it took, what was on the other side, the wall protected me. Sometimes from my imagination, sometimes from reality. Often from reality. It was so much easier, as I grew older, to retreat into my mind. To hide from the world around, escaping into a world of my own crafting, a world where events, both amazing and tragic, were completely in my control. To think, "If I don't acknowledge or think about it, it will go away." Not quite a healthy mindset, I'm sure you can imagine.
     Now, imagine these words coming to life in front of your eyes. "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength" "For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." "My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield." * Sounds a lot like the place I just described, doesn't it? Except it's a million billion times better. Because in this safe place, I am never alone. It is just as safe, just as beautiful, but Someone else is there. The LORD GOD OF HOSTS! The King of Glory! The Everlasting God! My PROTECTOR! It isn't a place to escape reality, because it is reality.

    Until I began thinking about this blog, I hadn't thought about that garden in years, but it's amazing what an impact it had on me. I had so many adventures there. Now, I'm beginning a new adventure, and I'm inviting you along. Just step with me

                       Through the Wall


* Psalm 18:2, 61:3, 144:2