At the end of February, we moved to a new ministry in Northeast Tennessee.  Our plan was to move into temporary housing, we would buy a house as soon as we could.  As you may realize, we were all living in pre-Covid America in February.  Suffice it to say, two weeks into our transition, we had to move to online services with the rest of the country and wait for the panic to subside.  We continued searching for a house, but the pandemic did not affect the real estate market in our area.  The houses flew off the market.  We continued our search.  Weeks turned into months, and here we are eight months later.

My packing plan seemed like a good one.  I had packed things with number designation as to their importance.  I unpacked my boxes numbered one.  This included just the household things we needed for a few weeks.  After all, we were just passing through.  We jumped into the craziness of ministry during Covid and house hunting, and time flew.  Our kid’s schedules changed and suddenly they were all home.  I would come home, and they would be digging in boxes looking for certain items.  As you would guess, slowly we unpacked more and more.  Now we are comfortable where we are in this house. I think packing may be about as painful as it was when we left Ohio.  Isn’t that just how we are as Christians?  Colossians 3:2 says, ‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”  This world is not our home, but it is a balancing act to live in this way.  We get so tied up with thing things of this world.

If we have learned anything through this year, I hope we have learned to hold the things of this world very loosely.  Our world is a mess, and it has seemed to spiral down so quickly this year alone.  We need to learn to live with Heaven in view every single day.  This is difficult with so many things screaming for our time, as ladies.  The kids have outgrown their shoes.   You know they need to go to the dentist. It is time to pay the school bill.  The list is endless.  The little (less important) things clamor for our time.  Our Bibles never scream, “Hey read me!”  The dishes…yes!  The dishes they scream, “Hey look at this mess.”  I truly believe if we can train our minds and our thoughts to ask if this is going to matter in light of eternity, then we will major on the things that matter.  Our hurt feelings, that rude comment…will it really matter?  Can I overlook it?  Maybe there are things we are chasing and spending more time on than we should.  It is time for Christians to focus on Heaven.  Focus on relationships and people.  First, are they going to Heaven?  Can I give them the Gospel?  Can I mend a relationship?  I mean, we are going to Heaven together if they are believers.  Can I focus on my current ministry or maybe I need to jump into a ministry?  I challenge you to take a minute to list your priorities in light of eternity. Heaven is real!  We are headed there, my friend.

I Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  We are going to see Him, our sweet Savior, face to face.    God is going to clear many things up for us when we get to Heaven. I doubt we will actually have any questions when our feet hit those golden streets.  Our focus will be on Him.  Let’s listen to some songs about Heaven.  Let’s decide NOT to get our feelings hurt.  Let’s decide to pass out another tract.  Let’s bear someone’s burden.  Let’s linger a little longer in prayer.  Let’s dream about the wonders of Heaven with our children.  Let’s decide to try to avoid unpacking more than we should here on this earth.  We have a blessed hope!  Remind yourself and someone else today!