I’ll See You Later!
The night before Mom took my Dad to the hospital for the last time in June 1979, they talked and prayed all night. They prayed and praised God for His Blessings throughout their lives together – 51 years.
Dad told Mom, “When Jesus comes, look to the East, and you will see me flying up from the grave to meet Jesus in the air when He comes!” Then, we who are living and still around will be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. That way we will always be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:17)
As I get ready to leave after visiting with Ed, I find myself saying, “I’ll See You Later,” as I leave him. I wonder if it is a declaration of Hope. Is it a way of enduring what is? Time, now, has no meaning for Ed. This is comforting for me. Yet, I feel every second we are apart here on the earth. I know, through the pain of parting, there will come a time when there will be no parting.
In a little while longer, the One who is coming will come and won’t delay; but my righteous one will live by faith, and my whole being won’t be pleased with anyone who shrinks back. Hebrews 10:37-38
It is one thing to say, I’ll see you later when you know for a certainty there is a next time. The song we often sang during WWII contained these lyrics, “I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places…I’ll be looking at the moon, and I’ll be seeing you!”
In a recent devotion penned by Anne Graham Lotz, I read a reminder of the words of Jesus in John 14:3. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. What a difference God made when He sent his Son to earth to give us this promise before Jesus left for His Home in Heaven.
Did God say, “I’ll see you, later…” to his Son as he came to earth to sacrifice his life on the cross for us? Often people want God, but not Jesus. There is no separating the two. They are as One.
“Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” John 8:19
When a toddler learns to walk, no matter how often he falls, he loves the motivating call, Come! Later when his parents leave, He wants to go with his parents. When Jesus says Come – He wants to come and stay with us in our hearts. When we come to him, and follow him, he gives us peace. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27.
Why does Jesus promise us peace? Because He loves us into a new life. We become a new creature in His Love. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The brief separations on this earth caused through travel or sickness are short.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. Mark 10:14
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6
When I say, “I will see you later”, after a short visit with my husband, in my heart I realize later can mean a host of things. It can be literal, or it can be a heaven-filled literal message. There is a strong cord of love, a companionship, a feeling of home with my husband of almost 65 years.
With delight, I am discovering the same cord of love as Jesus walks beside me in this journey. A companionship and a feeling of Going Home with Jesus brings peace. I dreamed once of Jesus’ second coming and felt the Joy of His Presence.
In this Advent season, we celebrate the coming of Jesus. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! Luke 2:9-11
May the hope of peace and joy be with you, as we come to the true light to follow Him. Then the parting words have a joy and life of their own…I’ll See You Later!
The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn’t recognize the light. John 1:9-10
He gives the Son authority to judge, because he is the Human One. Don’t be surprised by this, because the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice. John 5:27-28
Therefore, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found by him in peace—pure and faultless. 2 Peter 3:14
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