The Finish Line

My heart is heavy today.  Anyone else?

There are times when this is warranted, and perhaps, exactly how we are supposed to feel.

  

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

1    There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
      a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³    a time to kill and a time to heal,
      a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
      a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
      a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶    a time to search and a time to give up,
      a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷    a time to tear and a time to mend,
      a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸    a time to love and a time to hate,
      a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

I will not attempt to explain all of that.  I am in no form or fashion remotely close to a Bible scholar.  I know one pretty well that I can point you to with all of your questions though (you're welcome, Bill Victor ;).  I will say that this pretty much sums life though.  Like it or not.  Knowing all of the "whys" or not.  When sin entered the world, one side of the equation was set into motion.  All of the times to mourn, die, weep, throw away, tear down, hate, kill...this is part of life on earth because sin entered the picture.  

  

The horror of what is happening to religious minorities in Iraq, Robin Williams' untimely death, the upheaval in St. Louis that is deeply rooted in racial conflict, the waiting and unrest for friends and children in foster care waiting for judges to make decisions about their future, the grips of addiction on people's lives around me...these things in particular make my heart heavy today.  And this is my limited knowledge of suffering and pain today.  I am keenly aware that suffering is deep and widespread in the hearts of people I know nothing about.  God in His mercy spares us from knowing everything, because our hearts are not built to handle the weight of it all.  I, myself, am not directly suffering from any of these things, so I could just turn the music up and forget about it.  What can I do about it anyway?  It tempts my heart to despair.  Who wants to feel despair?  

But I feel as though God will not let me forget about it today.  

Not every crisis can be solved, I cannot fix people, I won't even have the chance to meet most of these people who I know are suffering and hurting today.  So, what then?

I hear Him say, as I recall the counsel of His Word, “Care for the hurting and the oppressed.  PRAY.  PRAY.  PRAY.  Abide...stay connected to Me.  Keep your heart on the altar and yes on the table.  Do whatever I ask you to do next.”  I don't have to dream up ways to insert myself into these problems or be a hero for anyone.  I only need to obey.  He doesn't speak to me in riddles.  He doesn't play hide and seek.  When I just stay connected to Him, He lets me know (sometimes with a nagging feeling) what He wants me to do.  I tend to over complicate things and  I don't always listen.  I definitely don't always obey. 

What I know God wants me to do today is pray. 

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.  Psalm 62:8

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:4-7

What I rejoice in today amidst the heaviness, especially when I think about the persecution of those who follow Jesus, is this:  HE WILL CARRY US SAFELY HOME.  This is so temporary.  The rest of forever is waiting at the finish line.  None of us know where the finish line will be or how we will cross it, but for every follower of Christ we know at least in part what waits on the other side...HIS MORE WONDERFUL THAN WE CAN EVEN IMAGINE FACE.  No more tears.  No more suffering.  All wrongs made right.  Eternal joy.  

This is the other side of the equation in Ecclesiastes.  Thank God for giving us a reason and time to dance, plant, heal, laugh, mend, gather...He has not abandoned us.  He is still moving and working and setting eternity in the hearts of men, women, and children.  He is with us and at work in the world.  I may not understand why He heals on one occasion and not another, but I trust HIM.  And I trust that one day I will understand when I am in His presence.

This is what keeps me from despairing about what is going on in Iraq.  This is what keeps me from loving my life on earth too much.  Losing sight of eternity is dangerous on both ends of the spectrum, whether we are suffering or enjoying all the good things earth has to offer.  When I fixate on the temporary I make idols of suffering AND gifts.  

I imagine this is crystal clear for many believers today.  

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:10  

  

I rejoice that some of our brothers and sisters are receiving the most glorious "welcome home" that there will ever be.  I am thankful for a God who will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  While we grieve here for the atrocities we see, there is already a celebration in heaven for those who have crossed their finish line.  

God, please help us to be brave, faithful, and to love our enemies all the way to ours.