I am torn between the two…

Yesterday after school a dear, dear student of mine (Caleb) came up to me in class after everyone was had gone to show me a few verses that the Lord had used to teach him some truth that, well at his age or even at my age, is far beyond our grasp. In tears he read these verses to me…

Phil.1:20-26 – “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”

This dear student understood before me the struggle that is at war with any of who truly believe in Jesus – Do we stay here on earth with the ones we love or go to be with the Lord who we love above all others.

And this is what the Lord taught us yesterday again. This is why we can not tell God what to do – we can’t say, God keep me here or let me go, for that is beyond what any man’s wisdom could decided.

So my wife (Lynda) says to me, “well if you do go, we are left here to struggle and you are up there already enjoying Him forevermore.” So two days ago I made a commitment to my wife in the car, something that I now cannot go back on. We are reminded that there is one vehicle (thanks Dave, for this thought) that God will use to bring us home (at this moment) and that each one of us will have to get on some time (death).

And another dear friend (Rick) said, “I know that, but I wish sometimes there was just another vehicle”, and as the words were coming out of his mouth we both lit up with this thought – there is another vehicle – it is called the rapture (or second coming of Christ) of the church.

So I told Lynda in the car that right now I have plan “A”, which is here on earth is to fight, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in HIS strength, with everything that is within me to take that vehicle to be with Him in glory. I will go through whatever to see His dear face come for us as a church in which we, for the first time, in history, will as host of people, escape death (vehicle 1) to be with our Lord. And then I had to say to Lynda, “and then, there is plan “B”… But for now I am aiming for plan “A” for His glory and for her comfort.

(When you see names in my blog, they are there to bring some kind of context to the stories and for us to pray specifically for those who have and continue to be used by our Lord in this moment in our life.)