I am planning to wear a wedding dress! No, this is not my Halloween costume.

7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.). Rev. 19:7-8

When Jackie (my beloved) first went to be with the Lord (my Beloved) and for the next number of months thereafter, I wanted very much to leave here and go and be with Him too. While the desire has dulled a bit (I am too in love with this world!), it has never really gone away. Randy Alcorn, however, in commenting on the above verse gives a good reason to stay alive and involved in ministry:

“We have a wonderful reason to stay alive, though we are apart from our Beloved, because we aren’t yet finished sewing our wedding dress. The wedding approaches, yet there’s more for us to do to present ourselves pure before our Lord. We’re eager for His return, but we don’t sit idly by. Part of us wants fewer days between now and the wedding because we’re so eager to be with our Beloved in our new home. But another part wants more days to better prepare for the wedding, to sew our dresses through acts of faithful service to God.” Randy Alcorn, Heaven Bible study p. 88

And Paul, whose zeal for the Lord never seems to have dulled, expressed exactly what it is like to be caught between an eagerness to be with Christ (our Beloved) and remain here.

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and (I)be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Philippians 1:21-24.

Jesus, You are still my Beloved (and my beloved, Jackie) but apparently Tim and I and all Your children who remain still have more work to do on our sewing project! By your grace we will do that well and then we eagerly look forward to being with You, Lord.


In Him,


Fred

P.S. “I’ll be home soon, Honey. I just have a few more things to do before I get there.”