Hot Pursuit
Last fall in my current home, Colorado, there were several mountain lion attacks. I have a friend who has a bear family living in her front yard. She carefully opens her door and checks before going outside. Every year, the local newscasters give the public a tutorial on what to do if hiking and meeting up with a wild animal. (Don’t worry about me, it’s not going to happen. One can avoid those meetings). While ‘experts’ have many tips for what to do in these situations, they all agree on ONE major rule. “Do not run or turn your back on the animal.” Isn’t that the first instinct, turn around and run? It is for me. The experts say you should face the animal. Speak slowly and quietly as you back away.
My mind knows that I cannot outrun any animal. Just like my spirit knows, I cannot outrun Satan. When I encounter him on my pathway, or look behind me and see him coming, I want to run! When Satan came to Jesus to tempt Him, Jesus didn’t run. He faced Satan and quietly quoted God’s Word.
As we face day 30, 40, whatever of this pandemic; it feels like sickness, hopelessness and fear are hot on our trail. I want to turn and shout scripture at these emotions. But, I confess, I’m tired and weary. Peter has a word of hope for us in this crisis.
“But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm.” I Peter 5:10 CEV Suffering is temporary, but glory is eternal. The commentaries about this verse tell us that “all time is short in comparison to what comes after.”
Several years ago, I attended a memorial for a child who had died from cancer. In the corner of the stage was a thick, coiled rope like the one used to anchor ships. As tears ran down her father’s face, he took the end of the rope. Placing about a foot between his two hands, he began to walk back and forth across the stage trailing it behind. He made several trips before he held up the section of rope in his hands. “This was her life on earth” then he indicated the rope he was extending across the stage and said, “this and more is her life in Heaven.”
We cannot comprehend eternity but it is our future. April 2020 has seemed very long, but it is just a blip on our life’s timeline. We will never forget this time but Rona will become a memory, not a reality. It is not part of our eternity.
Thinkin’ today about eternity.
