Lessons From the Window

It was a holiday weekend and Andrew was coming home.  Between college and his pit crew travels, we hadn't seen him in 2 1/2 months.  We were excited to have him home!  I was busy doing the things that a happy mom does when her child is coming home after being gone for so long.  I was fixing some of his favorite foods; doing some vacuuming and dusting; cleaning bathrooms; and getting his room all ready.  We weren't sure exactly what time he'd be home, so as I zipped from room to room I found myself repeatedly looking out the windows to see if I would find his blue truck pulling into the driveway.  My anticipation was mounting with each passing hour!  I couldn't wait to hug him, to look at him, to talk to him, and to sit down at dinner together with laughter and sharing as we always do when we're all together again. 

I was upstairs in his bedroom, changing his sheets and glancing out his windows every few minutes, when the Holy Spirit spoke very clearly to my heart.  It was as if He said, "Patty, I do wish you looked forward to seeing the Lord at His return as much as you look forward to seeing Andrew when he returns."  I have given this much thought since that day and have been convicted over and over by my attitude. 

How many times have I spoken of the rapture and linked it to being rescued from a situation that I'm tired of?  So often I have commented that it sure will be wonderful when the Lord returns and we won't have to face death and sickness anymore.  And won't it be a blessing to be in heaven and see all of our family and friends that are there now?  Oh, and the world is in such bad shape that it will just be a joy to be rid of it all and be with the Lord.  No more having to make painful, long term decisions about Aaron; no more financial struggles; no more conflicts with people; on and on the list goes.

While all of these factors are legitimate reasons to want to be with Jesus, I have often missed the real and most important goal.  It hit me with such force as I compared the reasons I wanted to see Andrew compared with the reasons I wanted to see Jesus.  I wouldn't run up to Andrew when he returned and say, "Oh, Andrew, I'm so glad you're here because I'm tired and need a break from things here.  Thanks for what you're going to do while you're here to relieve me and refresh me."  No!  I just wanted to be with him, to talk to him, to enjoy his fellowship and love. 

So while it's natural to want freedom from our trials and stresses and to be with Jesus, I want to think more about Whom I will be with rather than what he's rescuing me from.  I want to look forward, as Paul said in I Corinthians 5:8, to being absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  I want to anticipate time with Jesus, talking to Him, enjoying His fellowship, basking in His love, and praising Him.  In John 16:22, Jesus said to the disciples, "......but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you."

I look forward to being taken away from this old earth and all the junk that goes with it.  But may I look forward even more to glancing out my windows some day and seeing Jesus come to take me to heaven, where I can sit at His feet and talk to Him and praise Him forever!