Dear...
Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
Revelations 3:17
Back in 1981, my beloved mum was only age 49. That was also the year that this movie On Golden Pond brought together for the first time, two great thespians, the late Henry Fonda and the late Katherine Hepburn.
Today, my mum is no longer a sprightly 84. Her bodily shell reflects the ravages of time, and her human understanding is losing its sharpness as dementia sets in. Apostle Paul professed a strong desire to be with Christ in Heaven than to be on Earth, yet he stayed on for God has work for him to do.
Looking at the increasingly incapacitated bodily functions of my mum, I am more inclined to think that age 75, the number that our good Lord impressed upon my heart in the midst of my heart blockage back in year 2012, might be a good time to be with our Lord in Heaven than to extend my stay in this fallen world.
But its not for me to decide, but rather it is for all of us who professed to love and know our Lord, to live each day well as His Spirit works through us, to be a blessing and lamp in our very dark and difficult world.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
Proverbs 8:19
In saner days of past, in less than two months from now, I would have qualified to be in the group that can take time to smell the roses and no longer be too concerned about working. But alas, retirement age has now been moved a notch higher, yet truth is none of us as Christians will ever retire, till Christ returns or God takes us home. Prime is not age 35, but everyday when we are willing to let the Spirit of God work through us, for His glory.
Our bodily shell will not be able to defy the ills of our fallen world. But our spirit man will grow from strength to strength when our lives are truly aligned to the Holy Spirit. It is a privilege that God through the Risen Christ offered to all, but not many have availed themselves of it.
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Revelations 3:18
In the movie, On Golden Pond, it was the story of how an aging Henry Fonda´s very last summer of his life spent with his wife was rudely interrupted by the presence of his step grandson, left in his care for the summer by his estranged daughter. Yet, time together between the two strange bedfellows not only led to a new camaraderie between the once antagonistic males, but through it, a rapprochement between Henry Fonda, the father and his daughter.
Our Lord impressed upon my heart this analogy as I read the synopsis of this film which I have never watched.
Many have heard of God and Jesus Christ, but never believed.
And there are many more who claim to believe in God yet never have much of a relationship with Him.
In fact, many tend to treat the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ as an impediment to their worldly life.
Yet, for those who find themselves inadvertently thrown into the desert of their lives, in the searing heat of a seemingly long summer, this is usually the time that they develop a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. A relationship that will bring them into a reconciliation of their lives with our loving and omnipresent Father in Heaven.
For my mum, her natural bodily functions that most of us tend to take for granted is fast deserting her. And not far behind in jumping ship is her cognitive faculties. Yet thanks be to God, she is a believer. The Spirit of God is with her, and Christ has prepared a place for her in Heaven, just like He has for all of us who believe and follow Him.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
Henry Fonda died shortly after filming the movie. Prayerfully, He has also reconciled with the Lord our God.
What about you? Spring can be cut short for many. And even if one manage to live through Summer and Autumn, the Winter of our finite life can dawn upon us fairly quickly.
Is Christ waiting to receive your spirit once it leaves your bodily shell or are the denizens of Hades your companions for life? Do not just think about it, but rather pray and respond as the Spirit of God speaks to you this very moment.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
6th May 2016
