Theme:   Blueprints for a Better Life - Begin with the End in Mind

Read:  2 Corinthians 4:17-18; John 6:27

Think:  In this week’s message, Pastor Ben told us that God created us for eternity.  Those are hard words to swallow when we are in the midst of life’s struggles.  Our ‘light and momentary troubles’ as the Apostle Paul calls them in 2 Corinthians 4:17, don’t seem so light to us. We want life to be ‘rosy’.  I can honestly say that having an eternal perspective is not something that came naturally or early on in my walk with Christ.  I still have my moments when I wonder why God doesn’t intervene or why He allows bad things to happen.  It is not easy to trust Him with our lives when we see so much pain and suffering in the world. 

I recently went through a particularly hard time in my life when I questioned what God was doing.  Thankfully walking through that pain has solidified my eternal perspective and allowed me to trust more readily in God’s plan for my life.  Here’s my story:

My elderly mother had a severe stroke that left her partially paralyzed and unable to speak.  She lived in the Midwest and I made several trips back home to be with her.  It was so painful to watch and very difficult to wait and trust for God’s timing in her suffering.  I pleaded for God to take her—to put her out of her misery.  Part of me thought that was a selfish request.  I struggled to wrap my arms around the idea of God having a bigger purpose in it.

You see, most of my adult life, I kept my mom at a distance because she was mentally ill.  I was ridden with guilt and shame over the choices I had made.  But when my mom needed me most, God called me to minister to her needs.  This definitely put me out of my comfort zone, but I knew that this was as Pastor Ben said ‘investing in what will last.’  I had to put aside my needs and wants and was able to care for her in a loving way.  And although she couldn’t directly tell me with words, I could tell that she had forgiven me for not being there in the past.

When my mother died a few months ago, God gave me the most amazing gift that I could ever imagine as He perfectly orchestrated the events leading to her passing.  Two weeks before my mother passed away, I spent some focused time in prayer.  I was able to surrender to God the timing of her death and whether I would see her alive again.  Two weeks later she passed away.  When I went back for the funeral, her nurse told me that my mother’s countenance or presence changed to a peaceful state about two weeks prior to her death.  I know it was my prayer that set God’s timetable in motion for her to enter eternity.  And although I did not get to see her again, I was able to speak healing words at her funeral.  I will never forget the peace that gave me.  I will never forget God’s reassurance at a time I needed it most.  Now she is at rest and her passing gave me a glimpse into heaven.  That is an investment decision that I won’t ever regret.

Do:  Think about where you can invest in something that will last.  Is it investing in a relationship, serving, offering forgiveness, loving the unlovable, intercessory prayer or helping someone who can’t care for themselves?  Little acts of kindness do make a difference in eternity.

Pray:  Lord, show me where you want me to invest my time, talents and gifts in ways that will last.  Help me to have an eternal perspective and to fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.