A Neighbor without a Name

Our neighbor died today.

I came home mid morning, from a trip to the city landfill to discover ambulance and police vehicles along our street. It did not take long to discover that they had come to our neighbor's house. The grim reality became apparent to us that he had died, alone in his home and his body had been discovered this morning.

The events of today are haunting to me: coming to discover ambulance and police at the residence; the arrival of a medical examiner to officially document the death; the presence of a dead body in the home and the subsequent removal of the body wrapped in a blanket, on a gurney; the quietness of all involved as they move about to do their jobs, and the silence and emptiness of a home.

To make things more troublesome is the reality that in the eight years we have lived next to this man, I never knew his name. We had talked many times between yards, over the years, but conversations were never personal in nature; they were instead a bland exchange of pleasantries about the neighborhood and our respective houses. He was a nice enough man; judging from his accent, of some sort of European background.

It's unsettling to suddenly have all sorts of questions about him now that it is too late to ask them.

I could wax eloquent about lessons learned from being too busy, but I won't.

Perhaps the colder reality is that I simply didn't really want to know him. We didn't share enough in common on a surface level to lead beyond that, and besides, I remain essentially a fairly shy person who often struggles to be comfortable meeting new people....

still, it is unsettling to not even know his name.

Perhaps the final irony of today is that two days ago, on Saturday, I finally got around to knocking down the last part of the old, rotten wooden fence that is between our properties. He and I had talked about the fence a number of times, in a friendly way.

In the end, I doubt he even knew that I'd ripped the fence down...

perhaps I should have gotten around to doing it sooner...

The Coming Kingdom

As we get closer to Mother's Day this Sunday, I've been wondering what my own mother is up to. She died on June 4, 2001. Some people believe that loved ones in heaven can look down and see us on earth... sort of 'peering in' on what's happening.

There is no indication in Scripture one way or the other, but personally I hope not! Although in some ways it's nice to think of people being able to peer over the balcony of heaven; I know my mother would love to see my son Josiah, whom she never met on the earth. She'd love to see Rebekah and watch her growing up. (she'd be amazed at how smart Rebekah is and how funny Josiah is!)

The reality is that we're part of the most amazing plan imaginable: the redemption of our soul, our body and ultimately the entire earth itself!

So, in honor of mother's day, let me explain what I mean by saying a bit about the hope I have related to my mother:

Her soul has already been redeemed. That happened when she put her faith in Christ as her savior. Right now, because of all that Jesus has done, my mother is hanging out in heaven, which is a temporary location for her soul. Again, I'm not sure if she can see us, nor am I sure of what she's doing these days, but I do know that there's no pain or suffering or cruelty in heaven.

She is still awaiting the redemption of her body. Romans 8:23 says that we groan as we await the redemption of our bodies. Unfortunately for most of her life, my mother hated her body. She had a terrible self image, caused mostly by her childhood. There's pretty much nobody that I've ever known that 'groaned' as much for the redemption of her body, as she did! Think about it: we ALL will receive a redeemed human body, one that is imperishable, that 'bears the image of the man from heaven'. (1 Cor. 15:49)(I love that phrase... 'the man from heaven'!)

We know that even the earth itself is 'groaning' in anticipation of its redemption (Rms. 8:21-22) and the arrival of the city prepared for us (Heb.11:16 & Rev. 21). In June my father and I are going to visit the cemetery where my mother is buried, on the 7th anniversary of her death. It's in a town in Ontario called Lindsay, which is near a small village called Sturgeon Point (which is what my blog is named after). Sturgeon Point was my mother's favorite place on earth. The reality is that one day she will be back on this earth; on a redeemed earth, in a redeemed body, and she'll be able to visit Sturgeon Point again. (it may not be called Sturgeon Point then, but she'll be able to visit it again.

Scripture says that those who live by faith are really longing for a better country (Heb. 11:16)...a redeemed country ; Paul wrote that the sufferings and groanings of this age are pointing us toward the hope of the age to come... the coming Kingdom.

If you and I are going to persevere in this age, as Hebrews 10:36 says, and receive what has been promised, the coming Kingdom, then we need to focus on Jesus and the certain hope of living with Him forever as a redeemed soul, in a redeemed body, on a redeemed earth!

Happy Mother's Day!

On Faith Pt. II

There's something bigger than me...
There's something bigger goin' on...
Misty Edwards

I've been noticing a subtle and yet unmistakable shift lately in the spiritual arena around me. I'm having times where I feel deeply stirred to intercession and can't seem to focus on anything else. There have been times when I've been on my way to a ministry context and feeling good and positive and then when I arrive I'm hit with a major wave of discouragement and frustration, seemingly out of nowhere. Then there have been times in ministry contexts where there have been real events that should legitimately really discourage me, yet for no apparent reason, it doesn't affect me and I'm able to have a positive, faith-oriented posture.

Am I going insane? It seems unlikely. In my spirit, I'm pretty clear that these events are more than just emotional ups and downs... they are spiritually based.

Why is this? Good question! I'd like to know myself. It's as if there is a ton of stuff happening in the spiritual arena but virtually no indication of that activity in the natural realm. (I apologize to those readers who think I've gone off my rocker in talking in these spiritualized terms!)

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Heb. 11:1

Clearly Scripture teaches that there is much reality that we do not see; much activity of which there is no natural evidence.

Thus in faith I must choose to act in the natural (i.e. pray) when my spirit senses activity in the spiritual.

I believe that there is much happening around The Canopy these days in the spiritual realm. I have no outward evidence or reason to support that belief. All I have is subjective impressions and feelings and experiences, some of which I have mentioned here. Beyond that, I believe that something is happening on a city level as well.

While such statments sound all well and good, the question becomes: can I muster the strength to continue to believe such things? With cynicism and doubt crouching at my door, seeking to have me, seeking to hinder me, what will I choose?

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Heb. 10:35-36

He persevered because he saw him who is invisible. Heb. 11:27