FOREWORD:
There's an eternity beyond this life
For years I felt as if I was in a medieval castle, seated
at a table with a gas lantern on it. I had the feeling there was something greater around
me, but I couldn't see it. I guess that's the darkness that exists when God is only a
vague concept in your life.
I ridiculed what I deemed to be religious fanaticism. I was too proud. My sister and
brother-in-law tried many times to break through my barriers. They demonstrated to me the
power God can have in your life by the changes I saw in them. Yet, I resisted. Gradually,
other people came along who impressed me the same way.
It's frightening to realize that until June 1991, I was but a heartbeat from hell...for
all eternity. And eternity is a long time!
In assessing my life, I knew something was missing. I figured Father's Day would be an
appropriate occasion. In an airplane high above somewhere between Orlando, Florida, and
Cincinnati, Ohio, I claimed my passport into eternal life. As the Bible says, I cried
"Abba, Father."
I didn't want an airplane flight to be as close as I'd ever get to heaven.
Now I know that no matter what challenges or tragedies lie just around the corner, God
will - in eternity if not sooner - wipe away every tear. This supplies enormous peace of
mind. My wife and I have each lost close friends the past couple of years, but we know
we'll see these people again ....in a world where there are no cancer cells, no money
worries, no demanding schedules, and no sorrowful partings.
You live a lot differently when you're no longer panic stricken that time is getting
away from you, and fearful that people you love may not be around tomorrow. The most
profound realization I enjoy is that there is an eternity beyond this life.
I'm no longer in darkness. Now I feel as if there are lights going on all over the
castle. There are still shadowy areas, but I know where to find the light switches - in
the Bible.
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