Sunday, August 1, 2010

face to face at last.


I've always unfairly had my beef with Donald Miller after his book Blue Like Jazz came into being, allowing us all to justify our "let's-have-a-drink-and-talk-about-Jesus" mentality. I'm not one to like the recently blurred lines of Christ's setting us apart in holiness. (Please don't tune me out after that...) But, after reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald has regained my confidence and respect.

He truly got me thinking. I'm not going to spoil the book and kill its message, but the jist of it concerns our creating a story worth remembering.

"I don't wonder anymore what I'll tell God when I go to heaven, when we sit in the chairs under the tree, outside the city... I'll tell these things to God, and he'll laugh, I think, and he'll remind me of the parts I forgot, the parts that were his favorites. We'll sit and remember my story together, and then he'll stand and put his arms around me and say, "Well done," and that he liked my story. And my soul won't be thirsty anymore."

I got really emotional reading this part yesterday. I blame 25% of it on the Temper Trap who were singing in my ears at the time, but the rest was all my thoughts towards the Lord. I kept wondering what I would say to my Redeemer on that day.

Maybe something like this:

Once I've come to grips with the fact that God is in front of me there, and I'm able to hold my composure, I'll probably start rambling, giving a play-by play of my life, like I tend to do.

...I'll apologize for the moments of doubt. Thank him for the moments I didn't deserve.

I'd ask him if he remembers the time I was hurting, and I couldn't breathe from crying so hard.

He'll tell me He was there all along.

Or why my beautiful grandmother, one of the most faithful people I've known, used to tell me she knew she'd see His return, and she died from Alzheimer's that summer of 2009. I'd ask Him why that happened. What kind of things could He see that I couldn't?

However He decides to answer this question, I know it will suddenly make complete sense.

Oh yeah, and I'd ask him if I could meet David and Paul...since the Bible makes them out to be pretty cool.

I'd probably crack some stupid joke and ask him if he was really a Republican like everyone thinks He is...

Then I'd apologize for rambling too long, and I'd ask him if I could sing to Him face to face. He'd already know I love doing that.

And in all honesty, I'm not sure I'd be able to utter a word with Him there in front of me.
But I'd love to sit there with Him and just listen to His sweet voice. Listen to His laugh.

Listen to Him fill my innermost longings with words of peace, love and complete satisfaction.

And as Miller said, "...My soul won't be thirsty anymore."

4 comments:

  1. I read it! All the way through. You should be proud

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  2. 2 things.
    1. Temper Trap can take any situation and turn it amazing.
    2. You have inspired me to give Don another try.

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  3. After I read Blue Like Jazz....I was disappointed and confused...so I read it again and nothing changed! You have inspired me to give Donald Miller another chance, because my soul is still thirsty.

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