Homecoming

I recently experienced the feeling of homecoming when I visited my oldest son and his family. Seeing their faces as I stepped down from the shuttle from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, New Mexico, was so joyous, I could hardly keep it all in. Hugs and kisses and smiles, yes, and tears - but it was so, so wonderful. I recalled little nuances about my son’s facial features, his eyes, his smile that had grown dim. The same is true when I visit my loved ones in Wisconsin. New delights arise with each conversation, each shared experience. Memories are stored away until the next rejoining. Hearts overflow with love and happiness. And then the agony of saying goodbye; one last hug, one last stroke of the shoulder, one last look from the window.

We’ve all been separated from loved ones through geography or the worst kind of separation – death. We heal from these losses with the help of our Lord and time, but etched in our hearts is that loved one’s smile and personality “tics” that are unique and individual. Memories come to us unaided by conscious thought – they just appear, making us smile and yes, sometimes shed a tear. A certain walk, a turn of the head, a twinkle in the eyes brings it all back.

I think heaven must be like that. I believe we will recognize those loved ones in heaven by those characteristics that we so fondly remember as we live here below. And when we join them, what a homecoming it will be! There will be kisses, hugs, (no tears this time) – only joy, the heart-filling ecstasy of an eternal reunion with no more separations. There will be unending singing and music and lights and colors and dancing and conversations and finally, understanding of the meaning of our lives here on earth – and no more sad goodbyes. Our joy will know no containment, it will be evermore and unending. What glory with Jesus our Lord on high!

When the holy angels meet us
As we join their happy band,
We shall know the friends that greet us
In that glorious spirit-land.
We shall see the same eyes shining
On us as in days of yore.
We shall feel the dear arms twining
Fondly, round us as before.
Author unknown.

“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.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

Cherish the Moment

“We are a people of jugglers. We juggle family, work, friends, commitments, responsibilities, relationships. We don’t take the time to ‘cradle’ moments, experiences or even the people we love.” I’m paraphrasing here from a brief recorded inspirational message by Sheila Walsh of Women of Faith on KLove. Struck by this sound bite, it became my most recent “aha” moment.

What a lovely visual! Cradle the whirring beats of a hummingbird’s wings as he hovers over a flower – God’s dual creation in the bird and the blossom – both fleeting – hang on to them! Cradle a child’s upturned face, lashes dark against perfect skin, little white teeth shining in an uninhibited grin. Extend that moment for a couple of heartbeats – be reluctant to let it go. Days flip by, a blink of the eye and the moment is gone. Cherish a phone call from an older child, a relative or a loved one – breathe in the sound of their voice, their laugh across the miles; picture in your mind their face and their mannerisms. Hold them all in your heart.

Cradle the time spent with a friend – a friend who may be hurting, who may be ill, someone you don’t see often enough, or someone you see every day. Whether laughing together or crying together, embrace the minutes or hours you are together. The fragility of life cannot guarantee another meeting in this lifetime. Cradle it.

Cradle your ability to think, to see, to hear, to feel. Some are not so fortunate. God created us to be marvelous beings. Think of your hands, your feet, your brain, the workings of your body – and marvel. Cradle the magical aspects of your creation, the miracle of life. Hold your beauty in your hands as you would a newborn baby.

Take moments to cradle your time spent with God – in prayer, in Bible study, in quietness. It may be the best part of your whole day – hearing the whisper of His voice, feeling His comfort, His forgiveness, His Spirit, His being.

When we juggle all the “hats” that we must wear in this life, when we don’t cradle moments and people, we find that we’ve come to the end of our lives with a muddled mind and very tired arms. And really, now what was it all for? Did we enjoy and cherish the moments that God gave us or were we too busy keeping balls in the air to even notice? Drop the balls and cradle those people, those take-it-to-my-heart pieces of life that need preserving. Time is short. Do it now.

“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro. He bustles about, but only in vain. . .” Psalm 39:5-6a