All Around Us

Every once in a while, I am astonished by the realization that this world is but a mirror dim.

Seriously. Positively mind-blown and reminded and surprised and excited by all of the reflections, glimpses,
metaphors

everywhere

that God has planted in this world to show what is to come.

Take food. Oh how good food is! Sometimes I think about how everyone needs - and even loves - to eat. Eating is a short experience. You eat and you're done. But people pay so much to taste something that will disappear within minutes, that vaporizes faster than the time, sweat, and money spent for it. The value of food is acknowledged universally. The adventure and fulfillment of food is sought after by all. And even the few people who do not care about flavor or concern themselves mentally or emotionally with what goes down their throats -
still need food. Desperately. It is vital. There is no escaping that need, no ignoring of it.

We all need to eat. Because we all hunger. 

That may be a simple fact, yet it blows me away.

Because
it makes me

remember.

That this isn't all there is.

We've got souls that need to be fed. We were made to eat and be full. We were made to be satisfied. And this world's metaphor, the painting God has created for us in this life, the dependence we were born into - it's all a nudging.

And there's the height, width, depth of the Grand Canyon as I stand before it. It's the love of God, right there.

There's the deepest relationship in my life, so full of love, sweet to the taste. And that's just one sliver of what my relationship with God could become. Will become.

There's the glory and indescribable passion, presence, filling up the most anointed worship times I've experienced. But a
fraction
of the eternal singing and presence and
beautiful dance of Heaven to come.

And my mind is blown as I discover that all that is laid before us in this world is just
a foretaste.
And I thought that this, this was all there is. I thought this was all there was to know and find and seek.

But I was wrong.

And I am wrong, daily.

When I choose TV shows and the emotional rushes they give me.
When I complain about my chores.
When I am spiteful in my relationships.
When I believe that I am more important, that pain has no gain, that there is nothing more than the meager life laid before me. When I choose to forget.

Because that's what it is, isn't it? When your eyes have been opened and you've been given truth. . . and you do nothing about it? I am choosing the shallows. It's deliberate. Wallowing in fear, maybe. Scared to be bold. Scared to pray big. Scared to reach for eternal reward everyday.

It's living just like the world. Choosing to never look beyond or seek. 

And I want eyes for eternity.

Suddenly

I feel like someone just punched my heart.

Convicted.

This blog post, called "Your Picture of Heaven", asks some really good, hard questions.
I admit, it was difficult to read.

But that's good I think.
I believe to feel that gut-wrenching conviction is healthy.
It shows the Holy Spirit is alive within me. 
(Does anyone know if there is a verse that says that?)

So I urge you to read it, and search your heart too.

Why do you look forward to Heaven? Do you, even? 
Do you want most to be with God and to worship him?

Tickling

I don't know about you guys,
but isn't the feeling of being tickled
amazing?

It's like the most
wonderful
awful
wonderful
feeling where you feel so joyful but you want it to stop
and you're laughing and grinning
and "stop! stop!" is flying out of your mouth.

I find it to be a flash of the joy that will be all around in heaven.

Somehow, it's one of the most joyous feelings in the world.