I Finished a book today (1 Jan), The Warmth of Other Suns. It is the story of The Great Migration, which was the flight of millions of Black Americans from the deep south to Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Milwaukee, etc. The book tells the Story of 3 migrants from the Mississippi delta, Monroe LA, and Eustis, FL.
Reading about the lives of three characters, their adventures, personalities, pains, and eventually their deaths made me reflect further on my life. Though the book mentions a couple of the characters' participation in their church, the spiritual content is limited. Though their lives were highlighted in great detail in the book, in the end they all died, just as we all do. The author discussed the three folks that left the deep South and in much more general terms, those that didn't.
But did it really matter?
Well it mattered then, but does it matter to those three folks now? They are either enjoying the joys of heaven, or the other option. The text quotes from 2 Corinthians 4:17, but would have been more complete to cover vv 16-18.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Read that carefully, thoughtfully. The things that are seen are transient. The afflictions we face, whatever they may be, are capable of producing an "Eternal weight of glory". Not totally sure what this is, but it sure sounds good.
So, as hard as it is, and regardless of our personal circumstances, let us endeavor to look more at the unseen, eternal, things, and less at the things we see, which are transient. We are all getting old, if we are alive.
Blessings,
I like that:"We are all getting old, if we are alive."
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