Tim Eimer: Noble princes, brilliant daughters of the Almighty

Dear friends,

I have been an athlete my entire life. At age five, I swam competitively and played Little League baseball, and I played basketball and swam six miles last week. Physical activity has always been part of my daily routine. Old athletes have a unique perspective on mortality. Over the years, we measure the decay and death of our bodies in lost speed, weakened muscles and sore joints. Personally, I’m growing weary in this aging body of mine (2 Corinthians 5:2). My throbbing hip screams at me to sit down even days after running up and down the court, and a year of surgeries and treatments have siphoned strength from my muscles. My dying body causes me to groan (2 Corinthians 5:4) as cancer chews through my lungs, and I shudder at the number of times this fragile tent has been cut and jabbed and probed during the past three years. Deep down in my core, I feel the death and decay of my earthly body (1 Corinthians 15:41) and the certain pull of the earth dragging me back to the dust from which I was formed (Genesis 3:19). Now, as part of the great irony of modern medicine, doctors are going to weaken my body again in an effort to save it.

My radiation treatments start Monday. If I were not a Christian, I would desire all this to end now. Daily, this earthly body disappoints me (1 Corinthians 15:43). I am frustrated at the many times I must turn my gaze to avoid lusting, how quickly my tongue spits out a lie, the swiftness with which my mind crafts a criticism, and the constant desire of my hand to snatch what isn’t mine.

I know many of you are weary of sin and the slow decay of these earthly bodies as well, and you long to cloth yourselves in your heavenly bodies (2 Corinthians 5:2). Well be encouraged, brothers and sisters, for soon the same God who spoke the fiery stars and quiet forests and soaring hawks into existence will craft new bodies for us with his own hands (2 Corinthians 5:1). We will experience our great hope, the resurrection of our earthly bodies into eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:42). The priceless treasure of God’s power and light will explode out of these clay vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7), and these frail tents will be swallowed up in everlasting life and replaced with glorious temples dedicated to the Most High God (2 Corinthians 5:4). Our stream-lined bodies will pulse with power (1 Corinthians 15:43).

With His own hands, our Creator will sculpt our muscles into the form of olympic sprinters possessing the agility of the great cats and the endurance of the wolf running through the night with his pack. Our new bodies will sparkle with beauty, both within and without, (1 Corinthians 15:40) and shine with radiant glory (1 Corinthians 15:43). We will be transformed into heavenly beings fashioned in the very likeness of Jesus Himself (1Corinthians 15:49). On that day, we will be at home with the Lord where we will always please Him (2 Corinthians 5: 8-9).

I can see us all there in God’s great city, one race, one people of God, one great host of warrior-poets, artist-athletes, noble princes, brilliant daughters of the Almighty. Each of us is more beautiful, more treasured and more empowered than the next. The curse with its pain and
sorrow and death is gone (Revelations 21:4). We marvel at our physical abilities and admire each other’s beauty without lust or envy. I can see us there with the boundless energy of children and honed bodies of decathletes scaling the cliffs of God’s great mountain, sprinting along His golden shores and dancing before our nightly feasts with the King.

As I write this letter, I see us all there, one great nation of people bursting with strength and vigor. We are youthful and wise, joyful and filled with power. So be encouraged, friends, for the day is not long in coming for any of us, and on that day, our glory will vastly outweigh all our present troubles and our resurrected bodies will last forever (2 Corinthians 4: 18-19).

God bless,


Tim
PS: For those of you who have asked about my past chapel talks at my school, you will find the spring 2008 chapel at www.Phil-Mont.com on the home page in red letters. The spring 2007 talk is under the “student life” and “special events” tabs. It is the second bullet. You can listen
to both talks.

Also, my mailing address is (for those who have asked) is:
Tim Eimer
54 Brookside Court
Horsham, PA 19044