Four
years of driving my son to his city bus stop and picking him up after so he
could attend an out of district arts school, my son is finally graduating high
school. Tonight I get to watch him walk
across a stage and receive a rolled up blank piece of paper, the symbol of his
diploma that he’ll receive later, shake a few hands, flip his tassel, probably
do something funny, and walk off the stage.
For a parent, this is a huge milestone as we are the ones who dealt with
the complaints about homework, studying, and all the other myriad of school
issues over the years. But I have no
complaint because he finished well, even getting 90’s in a couple courses.
This day
will be busy for us. I have a study to attend,
an afternoon visiting with my awesome mom in law, and a rushed evening of
getting to the ceremony with everyone involved.
I’m wondering if it will seem that kind of rushed on the day we graduate
from this earth to the eternal kingdom our Lord has prepared for us.
Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God,
believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions (3438); if it were not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I
am, you may be also. Jh 14:1-3
Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he
will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and
make Our abode (3438) with him. Jh. 14:23
There
are only two places the Greek word mone is used and they are both in John
14. The word means staying, abode or
dwelling as in a place these take place.
So here we find out that Jesus has prepared a place for us somewhere
other than here, but while we are still on earth and born again, they come and
make a place to be in us! Wow!
Even before we ‘graduate’ from this corrupt system in which we live, the
Creators of the universe come to live in us.
After we
are finished with this corrupt and troubled place, there is a new incorruptible
place prepared for us to go. When we
finish the fight, this course (2Tm. 4:7), and run this race (Hb. 12:1) so that
we may obtain the prize (1Cr. 9:24 ),
we have an eternal home with the Godhead in which we will live… eternally with
them, not just ‘in our hearts’ but ‘in the flesh’ or our new incorruptible
flesh that is. So one day between the now and the then, we will graduate from this place of stress and work and be
able to see how it is worth all the effort and strain over the years to obtain
the prize. And we won’t be ‘walking off
this stage’ with a blank piece of paper, but with the most valuable prize ever-
eternity face to face with our Beloved Father, Son and Spirit.
Lord of
glory, help all Your children run with You beside us constantly, cheered on by
those before us so that we may live with You eternally where sin abides no more, and graduate this place to hear the words “Well done,
good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler
over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
(Mt. 25:21,23)