Eternal Perspective

Here was the challenge laid down for today's blog:

Open a Book. Choose a book and open it to a random page and point to a phrase. Use that phrase to get you writing today. Free write for 15-20 without stopping.

For the book, I chose the Bible and I landed on Romans 8:18 which says:


"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us"


This verse speaks of eternal perspective to me. Now, I wouldn't describe much of anything I go through on this earth to be suffering, but I know what the author is getting at. Sin causes suffering of all shade, types, sizes and styles. Without sin in the world, I wouldn't feel pain - both physical and emotion - I wouldn't hear or partake in gossip, I'd feel no envy, I wouldn't speak an ill word of anyone, my thoughts would be pure and my actions would be edifying to myself, my God and those around me. Man, that sounds like a great place! Where do I sign-up??


The answer is, that place exists and I signed-up when I gave my life over to Christ. To me, the verse I pointed to above makes it clear that instead of focusing on the toils and troubles of this earth and this life, I should be focusing on the place that I will be spending all of eternity when this pencil dot on the continuum of time, that some people call life, ceases to exist. I actually take great comfort in that.


People ask me all of the time if I'm really this easy going and happy about my current health situation. Some people just can't wrap their heads around the fact that I would call CF a blessing. And yes, there are those that actually get angry that I don't seem to be suffering. I can tell you this - I have never and will never consider anything that happens to my earthly body as a suffering. This is just way to temporary for me to ever consider it that. 


Suffering to me would be spending eternity separated from God. I can't even fathom that. I often sit back and think about this life compared to eternity and it continues to blow my mind. I think if we get caught up in the short-term, and what happens in this life, we'll always have some level of disappointment. I don't think I've ever met someone who was 100% satisfied with how their life is, was and where it's heading.


The only way to be 100% satisfied with this life is to focus on the eternal perspective. The only way not to get overwhelmed with our circumstance is to know that ultimately, the suffering we feel here on earth will be like a gun shot amongst a Fourth of July fireworks show that lasts forever.


I take comfort in the fact that the story has already been written. I'm simply acting out a short scene before the director calls me Backstage.