Some call it Hope.

Today I found myself walking slowly through the cemetery staring for long periods of time at names and dates of people i have never known. I wondered about them. 

Colice Hancock was one name. Her dates were 1886-1986. She lived 100 years. I could not keep from pondering. Who was she? What did she do? What did people admire her for? What did she do that she wanted no one to know? What was she afraid of? What did she love? Did her heart break over a sour relationship? What made her laugh? What made her cry? Who was this woman?

What are things like for Colice now?

Frankly, this woman died before most of my piers and I were born. Although most of us would love to answer these questions about ourselves, we don't care at all about the answers Colice Hancock would have given. Heck, most people wont ever even have the option to care.

 Thats the strange truth.

Then I looked and I saw the almost endless number of tombstones. Every one of those people had so much life in them. So much.

As I was looking around i noticed something eerily humbling: 

My own footprints in the melting snow behind me.

I dont think I need to explain the metaphor there.

I began to ponder. What it is going to be like to die? I continued to think about a doubt i have been having these last few weeks: do i really believe that once I die there is something afterwards? Really? What is it like? Is it the ideal, baptisty "heaven" I have been taught about since my infancy? That seems too easy.

I am not afraid of death, as much as I am amazed and in awe and wonder of it. I will repeat my brain-rattling question: what is it like? It is such a huge mystery and it is knocking at the door of every one of us.

Looking at all those dates made me pretty sure that I would someday join them. All this talk I have been hearing lately about the Lord returning soon, and the "end-times" stuff has begun to make me forget one potent truth. Most everyone who has ever lived...has died and was forgotten. I will probably die. In fact, it could happen any day. Any moment. There are no promises and no guarantees that I get to make it to tomorrow...or even to dinner time! That isn't a morbid thought. It is an honest one.

But as I was walking back to my dorm I think the Sprit may have put a thought in my head. It was definitely a still small voice but I am not going to risk taking the Holy Name of God in vain by saying "It was God telling me..." in a boastful attempt to sound spiritual. (Sorry...thats a whole other big thought i may touch on in another post)

Anyway the thought was, as I looked around the JBU campus, and at my hands, "But David, remember, you are here now."

So what do I do now?

As my dad says, "What do I do with this deep thought when I wake up and put my pants on and go live tomorrow?"

Well I just opened my Bible and it flipped right to Psalm 91. Funny. That same reference stands out to me as a verse on one of the grave stones I just looked at. When I saw it I somehow thought it was significant. Now that I have read Psalm 91, i see that it is. I would post the whole thing right here, but I think the length might scare readers away. So I would ask that you click on this: Psalm 91, and Go read it for yourself.

Have you read it? ok good. Now we can talk about it :)

All i will say here is that the first verse seems to do a good job explaining what we are to do right now. We will abide in the shadow (rest in, be protected from evils, find our home in the presence) of the Almighty (of the One who is over all things and cannot be fathomed or beaten. He IS truth. He IS love. He IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. His Words bring eternal life) when we dwell in the shelter of the most High.

Seek JESUS. That is the answer to what I am to do now. Nothing else matters. He is the one who can guarantee Life after this short puppet show is over. (Ok i don't know why i said "puppet show" there, besides the fact that i think it just sounded cool)

We have been given Hope! His name is Jesus! We must seek His face.

Nothing else here will last. 

Now, although I am saying this, I know and am disgusted by the fact that i don't live this way. 

No-sir-ee.

 But Seeking God does not imply arrival to God. that would be foolishness. It implies expected arrival to God. 

Some call it Hope. (Romans 15:13)

So lets run to Him in this short and fickle life and believe that "He rewards those who seek Him."  (Hebrews 11:6)

What else matters? the way I see it, our lives are like footprints in the melting snow.

-Dave