Close your eyes and imagine. Outside the realm of time, in the expanse of eternity, you find yourself standing before a great Throne. You’re clothed in white. But you look and see that it’s not cloth your girded in. His glory covers you. The Father sits at the center of the Throne. His unfiltered presence washes over you. Love and Light. The purest you’ve ever known. His Son is seated at His right hand. Slowly He stands. And in that instant you see Him as both Lion and Lamb, the glory of His majesty revealed as King of all kings. All around you the throngs of people begin to cry out loudly, shouting “Holy! Holy! Holy! Worthy is the Lamb!” You join them. Unable to stand any longer in His presence you find yourself prostrate. There is a crown on your head but you take it off. Holding it in both hands you strain, offering it toward Him, the Worthy One. All cry out, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing, and honor, and glory, and dominion forever and ever!” The vibration of the combined voices resonates through you, the unified sound carries up to the Throne. Even in the midst of the countless multitudes His eyes find yours, fixed on you as if you’re the only one He sees. He smiles at you lovingly. You now know Him as you have been known by Him all your life. A lifetime of tears are wiped away. The pains of all the yesterdays gone. As though they never were. You are with your Beloved. Eternity has begun.
Now. Come back to now. This world. This hectic world. With it’s pressures, fears, and pains. They are still part of the “Now.” But you, you were made for that future. For that other place, eternity with God. This world is really just an incubator. We see good. We see evil. Beauty and depravity. Love and hate. The Knowledge of Good and Evil has been unleashed in this realm. So we suffer. But here we get to choose. Here we get to become the thing He longs for the most. We are maturing into The Bride. As we give our hearts to Him, as we make that Choice. His heart melds with ours and we start becoming. We start moving toward that future moment. So when the trials and pains of life seem overwhelming. Close your eyes. Take His hand. And remember that moment outside of Time to which these sufferings cannot compare. A day when they won’t even be a memory. Jesus is the Way. He is Truth. He is Life. He is the Door to that moment. Hold on to Him. Trust Him. He wants you there. As we approach Christmas remember this, He was born into this world to get YOU to that place. To that moment in eternity. With Him. With the Father. Forever free. Forever whole. Forever healed. And it can start here and now.
(originally written 12-16-18)