A Blip of Time

But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"— (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Today is the first anniversary of my Mother’s death. Two days ago was her birthday; her first birthday in heaven.

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday, a significant one that ends in 0. Four days ago was my granddaughter’s eleventh birthday. In a few days, another granddaughter will have a birthday. What a reminder that life marches on. And on. And on.

A little over a year ago we were waiting for my beautiful mother to die. My Dad had passed just seven months before and my Mom was struggling with dementia and loneliness. It was difficult to see her decline so quickly but it was also very encouraging to watch her face as we talked about Jesus, as she listened to hymns and as we prayed with her. She celebrated her 89th birthday on the 8th of February last year and passed away two days later.

My last moments with her before I left to fly home to Missouri were spent sitting on her couch, my arms around her. Together we listened to hymns and cried and worshipped. I reminded her that she was the one that pointed me to Jesus. I asked her if she knew that and she smiled the biggest smile and nodded yes as tears streamed down her face. What a legacy. I get choked up even now thinking about it.

When we received the phone call that my mother had passed I was gripped with grief combined with joy because I knew she had stepped directly into the arms of Jesus. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “today you will be with me in Paradise”. This was right after the thief asked Jesus simply to remember him.

If anyone wonders about that period of time between your last breath and when Jesus returns to Earth, let there be no doubt. Jesus himself said, '“ this day you will be with me…”

Often we are so wrapped up in what is happening here on earth. Our time here is of vital importance but this time on earth is nothing but a blip in time compared to all eternity.

Once I did an exercise with a group of young ladies at church. We took a spool of thread and tied a knot near the beginning. I asked the girls to feel that tiny little knot and told them it represented their time on earth. We then took the spool over to the window on the second floor, held on to that little knot and threw the spool out the window watching it unravel as it made its way down two floors. I explained again that our short time on earth is represented by this knot. The thread that goes out the window represents only a portion of eternity. Imagine that it goes on and on and on forever and forever and never ends. That is eternity. We all went back and felt the tiny knot again. That is our time on earth. It’s a very short but very significant time in all of eternity because the decisions we make during that blip of time determine where we’ll spend eternity. Our decisions about how to respond to Jesus, how to respond to God’s incredible free gift to us.

I can rejoice because I know my mother is with Jesus and I know I will be there someday too. These birthdays we've celebrated this month are such a reminder to me of the quick passage of time here on earth. The very quick passage of time. It would be a mistake for us to have our sights primarily dwelling on our time here and forget about our place in eternity.

I don’t want this blog to be a downer which it easily could be. What I do want is for our eyes to shift toward an eternal perspective. As we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, weddings and even deaths, I don’t want God to let us forget, to let us lose sight of the fact of the brevity of life. Let us instead be thrilled that God is preparing us for an amazing existence in His Kingdom; that what happens to us here on earth is building us into the people that God planned long ago for us to become. Our perspective is so limited and only by being in God’s presence and abiding in Him can we get the perspective that really matters.

What difference will it make for you in this day and days to come if you begin to shift your perspective toward eternity? I hope for me it doesn’t make things that I do here on earth insignificant but on the contrary that it makes everything much more significant, realizing that this time here impacts not only myself but many others for eternity.

Does it affect how you interact with others? Does it affect how you see your troubles? Paul says they are “momentary afflictions”.

God is good and He loves you with a love that cannot even begin to be imagined. His involvement with you right now is far greater than you realize. He longs for you to look into His face and receive His love. His comfort. His peace.

My first sentence in this blog told about my mother's death. I actually should have used the words; “Today marks the anniversary of my Mother's entrance into real LIFE!!!”

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17‭-‬18)