God Job on Earth

What a wonderful life to look forward to! Before we get there though, I wonder how many of us actually realize what we are meant to do here on Earth. I tell my children all the time how I cannot wait to see what their talents and interests are or what they will be as they grow. When I say this they normally beam with excitement as if waiting for that moment as well! They are like flowers while I am those pair of eyes just staring closely and waiting for their petals to unfold with what God blessed them with. Will they be musicians or dog lovers? Hot-dog eating contestants? Cavern guides? While it is suspenseful, I look forward to each day that a petal unfolds.

While growing up, I wasn't encouraged at all to do anything for fun or as a possible profession. I wonder if that would have made a difference in my life today if it had been otherwise. As it is, I cannot narrow exactly what I'd like to be when I grow up. Yes, I know. I don't think we ever do "grow up"; I think we just grow older. There are so many things I enjoy doing; I just wish I knew what I was made for.

In Ephesians, it says that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." So there we have it, we do have a purpose! On top of that, not only are we commanded to share the love of Jesus, but we were created with a specific callling. I believe that whatever God created in us to do, it is something that we not only will be great at (because it will come naturally), but we will actually have a passion for it. Who wouldn't want that? I pray that by the day God would reveal to us that specific passion and that we would accept that invitation and run hard with it.

A God Job

Now you got me thinking. Not only do I imagine what interacting with Jesus in heaven might be like, I also like to visualize what I’ll spend my time doing. I’ve heard pastors say they are certain there’ll be golfing in heaven. Ho. Ho. Ho. Ha. Ha. They laugh just like that when they say it, too. I like to golf. I’d be up for it, but I’m excited about an unexpected thing. I wonder what work God will have in store for me. No, I’m not a workaholic and I don’t thrive on running myself ragged (though because you know me, I can’t hide the fact that I dive into projects and plans with intensity). However, I do believe we will work in heaven. I also believe it won’t be the kind of work we’ll roll our eyes at out of frustration. Instead, the artists will be painting gorgeous multi-hued murals across the backsplash of heaven. Unreal, right? And the excellent communicators…maybe it will be there job to connect us to all our loved ones we were acquainted with on earth. The seamstresses, well quite clearly they will be sewing all the iridescent wings. Who knows? My point is that we get to use our gifts in heaven. Time with Jesus, yes and the best part! Using our gifts for HIS KINGDOM while in HIS KINGDOM? I can’t even imagine it fully, but I can say I’m beaming with a smile. It excites me like few other things. How though, I wonder, will God decide which of my five hundred gifts to put me to work on? Needed a little humor injection (sorry).

What kind of work might you be assigned to in heaven?

Face to Face

What would it be like to see Jesus face to face? I think about that moment where we face Him and already I am embarrassed to think about all the missed opportunities I had to follow Him and His will during this lifetime. I don't think we are supposed to live perfect lives here, but I firmly believe He always creates opportunities to draw us closer to Him. Every seemingly bad moment can be turned into something good and every good moment can be used to glorify Him.

I am still in awe that Jesus always was and yet agreed to suffer for us that we could be reconciled unto God! Who does that?! I wonder all the emotions He must have when He sees what we go through. I have found that when I am going through the saddest moments, I imagine Him weeping alongside and completely understanding my pain. I picture the moments when He was at the garden of Gethsemane right before He was arrested. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. " (Matt 26:38, NIV) I also think about his reaction when He learned of Lazarus' death. Though He knew He could bring Lazarus back to life, "Jesus wept." (John 11:35, NIV) Think about it! Here we have Jesus who is the Alpha and Omega enduring emotional suffering as we do. We truly are never alone in our most joyous moments and the lowliest ones.

What would it be like to be in Heaven with Jesus or in the New Earth? Do we all get to chat with Him at the same time and be understood? Do we wait in line? Does He go house hopping? Do we all congregate in one area and all at once speak and listen? I love imagining and looking forward to how God's already got it worked out for us. What a surprise!