What will we do on Day 366?
By Anthony Alarcon mralarcon@aol.com
Perhaps when one crosses that half century mark you begin to ponder. Yes I said ponder young people think old people are deep and we ponder. I consider myself a good Christian not an enthusiastic bible totting scripture quoting evangelical. I have skimmed the book and I am reverentially attentive to the man in the pulpit. I have accepted that I am in the home stretch heading for the promise land. Cute nurses and man diapers are a lot closer than I would like to admit. So now when the preacher speaks of heaven he has my attention.
But, in my pondering I threw myself a curve. It hit me that our focus on heaven is on getting there. How wonderful it will be when Jesus comes the joy we will feel when we walk through those pearly gates. I had to ask the question. After the parade, after we have sung all the songs, after we have reconnected with our loved ones. A year of rapture, bliss and all the goodies we can take. Dare I say it what will we do on day 366?
A year is only a symbolic measurement of time. You get my point we are in this for eternity. If I could have lunch with Holly Berry butt naked (her not me) for eternity as time went by I might begin to notice that her teeth are not really straight. How many songs can we sing how much bliss can we stomach Many of us will remember the old twilight zone episode about the gambler who dies and finds himself in a place where he can not loose. At first he is overjoyed but, after a time it grows old and the joy of winning is lost. He turns to the angle and tells him the victory has no meaning with no chance of loss. The angle asks him how often you like would to loose and I will arrange it. Exasperated the gambler says I don’t know what kind of heaven this is. The Angle looks at him and says who ever told you, this is heaven.
I don’t mean to be sacrilegious I definitely want to be there . I try to live a righteous life and put god first When you think about it, all the sermons the books and songs are about getting there. The preacher admonishes us to do good deeds follow the Ten Commandments so that we may some day receive our reward. Our quest for heaven; does it take into account the nature of man? They say that success is not a destination it is a journey but heaven is a destination, as is hell.
As an alpha male that has spent a good part of his life in sales. Having experienced a tad of success I have relished the journey. It is the journey the challenges the failures the accomplishments the emotions that it exacts on us that make you alive. It gives your life purpose. Purpose that thing that gives you a reason to move act to strive too be alive. Purpose is an evolving thing it never stops until you die. Will our purpose die as well?
The ideas that when I stand in heaven with my Lord and I bask in the light, I have succeeded I have arrived. I have reached the destination that I have lived a life time to reach. I have no doubt that I will feel the glory and be at peace and know that I am blessed. As I look in all directions I will be surrounded by saints. As a matter of fact because I am there I am a saint. There is a tremendous WOW factor in the whole idea of that. Its going to take much more than a year for the newness of that to wear off. Remember we have eternity to work with here. It might be a million years and a day. The problem is the me that is me knows that a day will come. when I will need a purpose again or will I.
Flesh and bones are gone I am free, I have become that spirit created in gods image. This transition I am sure will bring about change. It could be as it says when I became a man I put down childish things so it may be that when I become a spirit I put down worldly things. Will I feel love will I still be able to hug my child. The emotions that put tears in my eyes or turn a smile into a robust fit of laughter will they be gone. Will I lose my sense of ambition my drive and concept of success or failure? My sense of humor my wit my intellect these are things that make me, me. I enjoy spirituals as much as any one but, the idea of becoming a happy go lucky sprit spending my time rejoicing floating blissfully through heaven does not do it for me.
I can’t imagine not going but, spending eternity with out multi tasking?. So you see the complexities of a ponder can leave one confused. God gave us the ability of free will and he expects us to use it He has told us that he has prepared a place for us. All we need do is believe and give our selves to him unconditionally. He has also presented us with a concept called faith. I believe in him and openly commit my heart and soul to him. As I have accepted his son as my savior and ask him for his guidance. These words have been running through my mind for some time. Perhaps there is a purpose to them. Some where a person may have a answer to a question they have not heard yet. In the end my ponder has left me with a finial question. Will the “I“ that gets to heaven still be “me”?
one grew boring or even entrapping wouldn't that in fact be hell?
perhaps we need to rethink our perception of heaven as being eternally blissful and... more