Saturday, July 23, 2011, around 10:15 pm, a very special friend stepped over into the presence of God. Her name is Jennifer. Her earthly tent collapsed last night and God rescued her soul. She belonged to Him and He immediately healed her, gave her a brand new, glorified body, as she simultaneously saw Jesus face to face! "...to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." ( 2 Cor. 5:6-7 NKJV)
Jennifer had suffered for many years with lots of health issues, but her brief, yet severe, battle with cancer came to an end last night. She was a very upbeat person and had a very strong faith. Jesus was her refuge and strength in her times of need. Her life verse was Matthew 6:33. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." NKJV Rick and I knew that Jennifer had had a tough week. We just saw her last Sunday and she was so sick, but still at church. If there was any way she and her husband, Tony, could get there, they were not going to miss.
As I shared in a previous blog called "Missing Dad", God sometimes gives us very clear glimpses of what He's up to in the midst of our day to day life. He did it again on Friday. Rick and I had traveled to Charleston (one of our favorite places) for the day. This is where we spent our honeymoon, many weekends, and where we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. The weather was scorching, but the day was beautiful. We walked and shopped in the historical district downtown most of the day. Several times Rick suggested that we should take our lunch down to the Waterfront Park and eat outside. It was 98 degrees plus the heat index which made it feel even hotter. On top of that, I have my own internal heat index that rises unannounced even if the air conditioning is blowing full force, so why would I want to go sit outside in the heat, be miserable, and eat? I just wanted to stay as cool as possible. So we ate at a little cafe and sat inside!
As late afternoon was approaching, Rick asked me one more time if I wanted to go down to the Waterfront Park. This time I gave in and said, "Ok." We headed that direction and as we got closer, the air was actually cooler and the wind was blowing. It was absolutely beautiful. We stood at the rail across the front of the boardwalk and took in the view of the water, the sailboats, and the people. As I looked down at the water, a small section was sparkling just like the water was sparkling at the lake. (I talk about that in "Missing Dad", a few blogs back.) It wasn't a large section, but just a small portion that caught my eye. I reminded Rick about the precious visual that God had given me about heaven at the lake a couple of weeks ago.
As we continued to take in the sights, Rick asked what that was on the other side of the bay. It looked like an island with a round building on it. I jokingly said, "It's the Isle of Patmos". We both laughed and talked about John and his revelation that God had given him. I kept eyeing the large swings that were on the boardwalk and the next thing I knew, the one in the very front became available. A front row seat! I discreetly told Rick that I was going to ease myself over and grab that one for us. He's a little slow and doesn't like to make a scene, so I made it over to the swing before anyone else did.
While we were swinging, Rick noticed that across the bay, out on the sandbar of the island (the one we had talked about earlier), was a white cross. He said, "I wonder who put that cross there or what it's for?" I told him that someone must have died and the cross was placed there in their memory, like people do on highways where someone has been killed. The difference though between those crosses and this one was that this one was pure white. No flowers; no name; just a white cross. It was a beautiful sight out across the ocean looking at this solid white cross and not knowing why it was there.
Today, during Sunday School, God reminded me of those little glimpses of glory. As I reviewed them over again in my head, I said to myself, "He did it again!" Now I understood the meaning of what He displayed for us on Friday:
1. The coolness of the breeze; a sense of calm and "Ahhh!"- No need to fear. Jennifer would soon be at peace.
2. The small section of water that sparkled- This was a glimpse of what Jennifer would soon see- the glory of God!
3. The island and the discussion on Revelation- The Scripture that Rick would read this morning was from Revelation as we, her Sunday School class, mourned and celebrated Jennifer's homegoing.
4. The cross on the sandbar on the other side of the bay- A reminder that Jennifer was at the water's edge, preparing to cross over and see Jesus!
Is God not incredible? He gave Rick and me a front row seat to catch a glimpse of His glory. He was preparing us for the day ahead, Saturday. If we had not taken the time to walk to the Waterfront Park, observe the view, and take a seat in the front, we would have missed the beautiful description of what Jesus was preparing to do- escort Jennifer over to the other side, and into the presence of the Father.
What is God trying to show you? Are you sitting in the best seat in the house- at the feet of Jesus? He wants to show you so much of His glory. He desires for you to pay attention to His story- the story that He is telling each and every day. Do you know Him well enough to recognize His voice? Do you look when He says, "Look!"? Do you listen when He says, "Listen!"? Do you obey when He says, "Obey!"? Please don't miss the glory moments! He is saving you a front row seat. Will you take it?
My Pleasure,
Melanie
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