"Meanwhile, Back on Earth..." - Crosswalk the Devotional - Jan. 12, 2012

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January 12, 2012

Meanwhile, Back on Earth . . .
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3, NIV

This month marks twenty years since my dad went to be with the Lord.

I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately and wondering what life would have been like these past two decades had he still been living on earth. When he left here for “home,” I was just starting out in my career and I was still very much like who I am today: friendly, talkative, head-strong, independent, truth-seeking and bluntly honest.

I wonder if he would be proud of who I have become and the choices I have made in my life. I hope so. Our fathers play such important roles in our lives, whether we’re sons or daughters. They set the example, they can either buoy or crush our spirits, and they either undergird our lives with love, instruction and understanding or are distant and uninvolved.

But thankfully, I had a father who always let me know I was the apple of his eye. We had our own inside jokes, enjoyed talking about life together and always found unconditional support and love with one another. My dad was interested in me and was amused by me and my quirky antics. I will always cherish knowing that I was valued and adored in our earthly father-daughter relationship.

Because of that, it’s still hard for me to see a father and a young daughter together today, walking hand in hand or sharing a laugh or a special moment with each other. There are also certain movies I cannot watch because of the sweet father-daughter relationships depicted therein. It just hits too close to home.

Thankfully, since I’ve loved and lost, I can definitely identify with anyone else who grieves someone precious and dear. That’s one blessing the Lord has given me over the years when I’ve been sad and have seen that I can still reach out to others through my tears. It’s a reminder to me that we were made not only to seek relationship with the Father, but with others here on earth.

If you are missing someone, I hope you will consider Jesus’ words to his disciples in today’s verse found in John 14:1-3. He wanted to remind his closest, dearest friends that life on earth was not “it” in terms of the grand scheme of things, and that he was preparing something much more glorious and special for his own. He wanted them not to be troubled because of his separation from them.

After he was gone, he wanted them to continue living rich, full lives by telling others about him and spreading the word that one day we will be reunited with him in our heavenly home (Matt. 28:16-20). I can imagine my earthly father reminding me of this very same thing if he could come back and give me a message today.

No matter our circumstances, you and I are still here for a purpose. And our heavenly father wants us to continue making the most of our lives while living for him “meanwhile, back on earth” (2 Peter 3:11-12).

Intersecting Faith & Life: Is your heart troubled? Are you mired in the throes of grief today? Set your thoughts on what awaits you in the life to come, and ponder how God still wants to work in and through your life until you have reached your heavenly home.

Further Reading:

Luke 11:9-13, NIV

2 Peter 3:13, NIV