We wash dishes by hand at our house. We are a big family, so it’s a bit of work, but after years of loading and unloading dishwashers only to find dirty dishes inside, it’s worth it for us. I have three sink basins; in the first I rinse, the second is filled with hot soapy water for washing, and the third has a special hot faucet for rinsing again. Above the sink, mounted to the wall, are four big drying racks. Everything smells like lemon and optimism. Once my dishes are shiny and dripping on the metal racks, a child has usually brought in one last bowl and spoon. After that, someone finds a stray coffee cup, and before my dishes have dried, the first sink is full again with ladles, milk glasses, and unnecessary straws.
Our work is never done on this side of heaven. Life is better when I don’t expect a full stop from things that do not stop. The dishes will never be done. The garden does not stay weeded. The beds need to be made every morning. It’s the same regardless of your station in life, the color of your skin, or the size of your bank account. Wealth does not bring happiness. Look at King Solomon in Ecclesiastes, who had limitless wealth, massive power, hundreds of women, and access to any imaginable pleasure the world had to offer. And yet his conclusion, after wearing out every fleshly gratification he could think of, was that it’s all vanity, all just wind and nothing. “All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say” (Ecclesiastes 1:8). And if that guy, with all his resources, realized that our hope is not found under the sun, do you think that you’re going to discover something different?
Now, don’t misunderstand me, the fresh glory of a sunrise over mountains and the squishy skin of a new baby and the arms of my husband all hold a true and inexpressible joy for me. The beauty of the world and its people is for our joy. But none of it will satisfy our deepest longings. None of it will make us complete. In the world, no matter how much we love the smell of lemon, there will always be dishes to wash, and our favorite ones will continue to break, and our dogs will die, and our houses will burn, and we will bury everyone we love until they bury us.
But there is a land where there is no death, no sickness, no depravity, and no shame. And, boy, I hope we will see our pets, because there’s a good girl I sure wish I could see again. We will lay down our tools and run home, into the arms of our Father. He has promised us this: “Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God” (Revelation 21:3).
One day, in the new heaven and new earth, God will dwell with His people as He did in the beginning. We were created for life in our holy God’s presence. Our sin keeps us from coming close to Him. But He comes to us and brings us home. There we find our settled rest, not like guests or strangers, but like a child who is truly home (Psalm 23).
….the past events will not be remembered or come to mind. Oh what a day that will be!! Perhaps today! Happy Friday sweet She’s! Lots going on today and tomorrow. Meeting our future TK students today and I CAN’T WAIT!!! TOMORROW we celebrate a dear, dear friend from our school who went HOME last week, losing her battle with cancer BUT gaining her NEW LIFE with our precious JESUS.
Sisters— thee Lord is awesome! I wanted to give you an update because some of you sent prayers, but for a month or so now I was going to interviews for a job I’ve been praying and yesterday I accepted the offer! My current job offers no work life balance because it’s so stressful, that unfortunately my husband is the one who pays. I barely see him because I leave early for work, and when I come home I’m so exhausted that all I do is go to bed. And he is incredibly amazing and understanding about it. I thank the Lord for giving me the awareness that something bad to change.
I’ve been praying and God has blessed me with a new role that I can work mostly from home, and that can take away the biggest stressor I currently have professionally. I have never prayed for a job like this because it was not just about my comfort but about my marriage. It’s crazy how work life can creep into every area of your life, if not careful. Anyway, thank you all for the prayers and Thank you, Jesus!
Some days I would just like to dream about heaven and how wonderful it will be to live with our Savior. I get so discouraged sometimes about the sin and brokenness or this world. But then I think of the people I love who are not following Him. And I shake out of it and thank God that He hasn’t come yet, because I want more people to know Him.
From HRT this morning: “Jesus is coming again, so we need to act like it.” Yes, God’s presence will dwell full-time with His people again. In the meantime, however, we’re called to share His presence with others so they can come to know Him as well. Our eternity with God’s presence started the day we accepted Jesus’s offer of salvation. And we still need to live like it.
TINA – re: temple. Same reaction here! ❤
SEARCHING – I was thinking of sharing that song! Storming heaven for you, sweet sister!!!❤❤❤
JULIA C and KELLY NEO – ❤
KELLY (NEO) and all other sweet sisters that prayed for a successful surgery… Sharon’s “skull replacement” (eeek!) went well yesterday. Thanks for your prayers. Recovery time and a recovery plan was unknown last night, please continue to pray, but for her healing plan and associated time frame. Thank you.
On a side note… I am so glad it is Friday. (We won’t have to have that focus when the new heaven comes. Woohoo!)
Oh Julia! I have always love that quote by CS Lewis. This world is not our home. I have always felt that there was something more. Like a longing or an emptiness. But when I read this quote it all made sense. We were not meant to live on Earth like this. We were meant to live with our Father.
Come, Lord Jesus, come. So thankful that we already have the Holy Spirit living in us so we get to experience the start of our eternity here on earth. Our eternity with Jesus began the day we accepted Him as our Savior!
I hope everyone has a good weekend <3 I would appreciate prayers for my knee as I have to officiate a college game today. It's feeling much better but still not 100%. Thank you sisters!
Amen! Taylor!
Happy Friday ladies!! Loved the devotional today. Praise God that we will spend eternity with him. No more tears, no more pain. Thank you Lord for being with us now, your Spirit living in us,conforming us more into your likeness. Teach us your way and give us an undivided heart. May we praise you with our lives, because of who You are!!
Would love your prayers ladies…my “friend” from church invited me to a worship night with him and his friends this past Sunday, and I went!! He is very close and intentional with his friends, and I feel like that was a big sign that he is interested because he invited just me to join them. Please pray for wisdom and to keep trusting God, if he would have this continue. Also please pray for my friend who we thought at one point he liked her…I texted her about it last night, and I just pray she doesn’t have any hurt feelings (he hasn’t asked me out yet though, so nothing is unofficial, but I have had a feeling,,). She said before she’s not interested or uninterested, so I just pray if something does come of this, I can be a good friend. I know how it feels to be on the other side of a friend getting into a relationship. Thank you so much in advance for your prayers!! Seems like a trivial thing to ask for prayer about, but a relationship has been on my heart a lot this year. May the Lord take it where he wants to, and may it be for his glory. Love you all!