My Citizenship

Some thoughts from a few years ago … 

I am just a little old(er) lady who likes to ponder and wonder about things and jot down some notes occasionally. My daughter tells me my epitaph will be, "She wondered as she wandered." Well, I can get pretty annoying with all of my "wondering" and accompanying questions. I do know that.

But these days, perhaps like you, I am wondering what is going to happen in our beleaguered world ... in the very near future and down the road a bit farther. Things are looking quite concerning, and none of us knows what may happen as nations rise up against nations. I just want to say that this is not a political post. I am going to refrain from making it that, and if anyone wants to respond, I would request that you refrain as well. 

My thoughts right now are centering on the idea of citizenship ... not national or political, but spiritual citizenship.  If you're old enough or have been a part of the Church long enough, I'm pretty sure you have heard the saying, "She is so heavenly-minded, she is no earthly good."  I get the idea behind it, but I really think it's an inaccurate way of looking at how we should view priorities regarding heaven and earth.

For those of us who are Christ-followers, Paul says, "Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." You see, I think we are so earthly bound, we are often no heavenly good. Meaning that heaven is really very far from our thoughts in the here and now. It's become more of a fantasy than an expectant reality. Is it because our Lord's birth, life, death, resurrection, and return to heaven was 2000 years ago? Have we lost interest? Have we lost hope? For some, has it just become a fanciful thinking fairytale? And when someone dies, we hope they have gone on to a better place, but we may not really believe they are better off. 

This, this place down here ... this is what is temporary. At best (and that's questionable) we may have 80-90 years to experience life here. It is training ground ... it is service territory ... it is relationship building ... for what is to come ... with God our Father, with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and with our Comforter, the Holy Spirit … and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. That is permanent. That is where life will be lived so much more fully and completely and joyfully than we can even imagine. 

I want to be ready ... passport ready. Eager ... holding onto things ever so lightly here. Only God knows the day, the hour ... and I sure don't pretend to be an end-times scholar. But the way things are going, I believe we need to be thinking about, talking about, and preparing ourselves and others for that day much more than it seems we do. That's just where I am in my wonderings as I am wandering these days.

“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.’”

1 Corinthians 2:9

© 2023 Connie Caston McMaster All rights reserved

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