That Day

One day, it will be That Day. It will be the day that I wake up and go through the same motions I go through every single day. Drinking that glorious first cup of coffee. Having my quiet time with my bossy cat competing for lap space with my Bible. Taking a shower. Make-up. Hair. Rushing out the door. Work. Errands. Home again. And eventually, back in the bed.

But on That Day life will be interrupted.

Maybe I won’t make it to work. Maybe I won’t make it back home. Maybe I won’t even make it out of the bed.

I suppose my point is that That Day will be just like every other day of my life. Except for one thing- it will be The Day that I will take that step from this world into Heaven.  I will blink my eyes seeing the same things I always see, but when the blink is over, I will see something absolutely marvelous- something that I have hoped for my entire life, but that I surely didn’t expect to see That Day.

Like most people, I don’t think much about eternity as I am going about the mundane activities of my life. If I’m completely honest, I will admit that even during my quiet time, my mind is usually focused on the cares of this world, with a sighing glance at Heaven in my heart as if to say, “One day I won’t have to worry about….”

I guess what I’m trying to say is

…though I know without a shadow of a doubt, though I know-so not hope-so, and though I know that I know that I know that my eternity has been secured by the faith I have been given in a risen Savior and that my soul is ready to meet Him face-to-face, I feel that I take for granted the time that I have to prepare for Him on a deeper level.

Now look, this is not a question of doubt about His ability to save to the uttermost. This is not a fear that He’s going to take one look at my life and go, “Eh, never mind….” This is also not a statement that I need to do more “religious things.”

For me to live in constant reminder of That Day means that I remember to remember Him. That I spend my time and life energy seeking Him out.  But how do I do that in the mundaneness of my life?

Is it even realistic to think that my every waking thought will be about Jesus?

Here’s the answer… I don’t know.

But here’s what I know. In every relationship that we have, the deeper the relationship, the more we see life through a filter that includes that other person. Not that we are consciously thinking about that other person every single moment, but that the way we see and think about the world begins change.

If I am living in preparation for That Day, then the things that are important to Him will become increasingly important to me, and when that happens there will be a tangible purity in my heart and life that can only be generated by Him.

I won’t be pulled up on all the self-righteous conservative politics bandwagons. I won’t be outraged. I won’t allow the thorns and brambles of the cares of this world to choke out the seeds of grace He has planted in my life.

Jesus didn’t tell me to be angry with others- He told me to love them all. He didn’t tell me to be obsessed with weird nutrition trends and my physical health- He told me to hunger and thirst for righteousness. He didn’t tell me to be cold-heartedly offended by people who don’t agree with me- He told me to be merciful. He didn’t tell me to be an activist- He told me to be a peacemaker.

So I will continue my journey on this road home, more aware that this day could easily be That Day. And I will continue to seek to live my life through the filter of Christ so that it is clear that I love what He loves, and I love how He loves.