God Answers Prayer

A women's prayer group in Nassau, Bahamas, prayed urgently yesterday about the recurring cough I'd mentioned in yesterday's blog. God answers prayer. From 9:00 pm last evening until I got up at 6 this morning, I never coughed at all. Thanks, friends!

Several weeks ago I wrote about the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I finished it last evening. Every few pages I'd read something so wonderful that I'd think, "Oh! I want to share that with someone." But I resisted making this blogspot a book review. Now that I've finished the book, may I just share one little bit (from page 441)?

Imagine someone takes you to a party. You see a few friends there, enjoy a couple of good conversations, a little laughter, and some decent appetizers. The party's all right, but you keep hoping it will get better. Give it another hour, and maybe it will. Suddenly, your friend says, "I need to take you home."

Now?

You're disappointed--nobody wants to leave a party early--but you leave, and your friend drops you off at your house. As you approach the door, you're feeling all alone and sorry for yourself. As you open the door and reach for the light switch, you sense someone's there. Your heart's in your throat. You flip on the light.

"Surprise!" Your house is full of smiling people, familiar faces.

It's a party--for you. You smell your favorites--barbecued ribs and pecan pie right out of the oven. The tables are full. It's a feast. You recognize the guests, people you haven't seen for a long time. Then, one by one, the people you most enjoyed at the other party show up at your house, grinning. This turns out to be the real party. You realize that if you'd stayed longer at the other party, as you'd wanted, you wouldn't be at the real party--you'd be away from it.

Christians faced with terminal illness or immanent death often feel they're leaving the party before it's over. They have to go home early. They're disappointed, thinking of all they'll miss when they leave. But the truth is, the real party is underway at home--precisely where they're going. They're not the ones missing the party; those of us left behind are. (Fortunately, if we know Jesus, we'll get there eventually.) END OF QUOTE

Now, that's something to think about, isn't it?

Love,
Carol