Well, back to the blog…I enjoyed a nice 7 days of fishing and rest. I also had the chance to catch up on some reading and take time to reflect on the past 1/2 year…after all, we are just a few days shy of the half way point of the year. How are you doing with your plans, goals and dreams you had put in place at the turn of the year?
Kevin leading the younger Troupe's into church on Father's Day
This past weekend was Father’s day and what began as a trip to church and an afternoon with my family has lengthened and has had me in constant thought of the words our pastor echoed of the words Jesus spoke to his disciples just hours before he was going to be taken away from them. We have begun a summer series from the book of John that is referred to the Upper Room Discourse…starting in chapter 14.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4
He went on to explain the preparation of our “room” in heaven that is being prepared for us. This “room” or atmoshphere that is being prepared will include all of the people that we had influence with on Earth. One of the experiences he made reference to was the case of a mother with a child with special needs and the struggles here on Earth she endures and is a part of her everyday life. You can bet that he sparked my interest. He went on to explain that though this relationship here is full of taking care of the child’s needs, that relationship will completely different once in heaven.
As Matthew this week had another one of his nights where 2 am seemed to be the right time to get up for the day a few nights ago, I lay in bed wondering what is he laughing about? Who is talking in his ear making him laugh as if he is being torture tickled. I often think that he is laughing at us…these kids with special needs I believe are priveledged to information that we are not. The other thing that kept me awake is the thought of what my relationship with Matthew will be like in heaven. He will not have vision and hearing problems, he will be able to speak, eat and think fast. Will he still love me and accept me and want to “hang in my room” with me?
I started to think beyond Matthew to my family and beyond…my relationships, good and bad that I have had, have now and will have in the future. How many people will be a part of my “room”. Have I had “influence” with enough people to even fill the room…will there be anybody there at all…or have my relationships been nothing more than give or take and just on the surface.
I am still reading a book by the late Coach John Wooden called A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court where he talked about some of the best advice his father gave him. After graduating from high school his father wrote on a piece of paper his creed…
“Seven Things To Do”
- Be true to yourself.
- Help others.
- Make each day your masterpiece.
- Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
- Make friendships a fine art.
- Build a shelter against a rainy day.
- Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.
What creed am I following? My prayer this week and beyond is to make it a point to make sure that there are people in my “room” when I make it to heaven. I think I may even adopt the above creed in my own life.
Many have asked if it is okay to share this blog about our Lessons from Matthew…not only is okay, but we emphatically ask that you would. We welcome any chance to show how good God is and how he is working through the power of prayer.