"Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."
~ Luke 14:15
Have you ever given much thought to what heaven will be
like? My grandfather said before he "graduated" that he used to be
afraid of dying until he dreamed of strolling through a beautiful garden and
seeing his handsome son there who had tragically passed away as a young man,
leaving behind a wife and two small children.
My dear husband found a story for me that illustrates the
promise of heaven. There was a woman who was diagnosed with a terminal illness,
like my grandfather. She invited her pastor to her home to discuss her final
wishes. She told him the clothing she wanted to be buried in, which songs she
wanted sung at her funeral, and what scriptures she wanted read. Then she said,
"Oh, one more thing. I want to be buried with a fork in my hand." You
can imagine how surprised that pastor was!
Well, anyway, the woman explained that in all her years of
attending church socials and potluck dinners, she always remembered that when
the dishes of the main course were being cleared away, someone would invariably
tell her to keep her fork. She said that was her favorite part of the meal
because she knew that something especially delightful was coming, some goodie
like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. So she wanted people to see
her in her casket with a fork in her hand and wonder, "What's with the
fork?" She asked her pastor to explain the reason for it during the course
of her funeral service by telling them, "She kept her fork, because she
knew something wonderful was coming."
Then, as the pastor tenderly bid adieu to the woman, it is
said that his eyes welled up with tears of joy as he realized that she had a
better grasp of heaven than he did.
"He who
overcomes will inherit all this . . ."
~ Revelation 21:7
I'm Thankful For:
1. The promise of heaven!
2. Forks. I can't imagine eating without them.
3. My husband's cousin. She departed this life suddenly
during a massive heart attack this week. She was a great blessing to her
family, her church family, and to the children she bussed to school every day!
She will be greatly missed! Are you ready to go if the Lord calls you?
4. After watching a particular disturbing bit on TV the
other night, I told my husband the next day that I sure appreciated not being
married to a wife-beater.
5. Lilies = "See how the lilies of the field grow. They
do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these." (Matthew 6:28-29)
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Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28).