photo: Martha G. Brady
What does the future hold for me?
I try not to think about it too much these days. When I was younger, it was the way I coped. Especially when times were hard. I would think about the future and realize things would get better. That no matter how hard things were at the moment, they were bound to improve once the kids got older or the job changed or we worked a little harder and saved some money or…
I try not to think about the future too much these days but when I was younger, it was the way I coped. Share on XBut the kids are grown now. Jobs are gone. We are retired. Our bodies show signs of decay and weakening. We do what we can to keep going and stay healthy, but at ages 71 and 79 we are on the downhill slope of life. That doesn’t mean that all opportunities for influence are gone. It just means that physically, we aren’t getting stronger. We also see signs of mental fatigue as well. stop
I’m not getting stronger or smarter but my long term future is very hopeful!
These days, I know that I will not be getting stronger physically and not much better mentally either! I don’t dwell on it because I don’t want to get down, but it’s there for me to see and be aware of.
Fortunately, there is another dimension. There is a positive and hopeful future. It is in the unseen world. That eternal world that continues after I die physically. It is when I will come alive in ways I never was here on earth. I will be fully transformed physically, spiritually and emotionally, to live in the presence of Jesus forever!
Short term, the future is not very exciting. But longterm, it is stunning! Share on XThinking about that can get very exciting. It’s when GOD’s grace will become new and fresh in ways I have never understood as I stand in the presence of GOD dressed in the righteousness of Christ and know the full acceptance of the Father in ways I never fully knew it here on earth.
Short term, the future is not very exciting to me. It involves decay and a downhill path. But longterm? The future is stunning! It is filled with light and glory, delight and worship, music and color beyond my imagination…and beauty, the beauty of Jesus in person! It is unimaginable and glorious and stunning and awesome in an almost scary way!
These all (the patriarchs) died in faith,
not having received the things promised,
but having seen them and greeted them from afar,
and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared for them a city.Hebrews 11:13-16
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and
the authority of his Christ have come,
for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down,
who accuses them day and night before our God.
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,
for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!Revelation 12:10-12a
What a great perspective!
it’s one we “in Christer’s” can all share isn’t it Tara? We do have a wonderful hope for sure!
Yes! The future is so bright!
Still working on my post. 🙂
yes it is, isn’t it? hope you finish your post. i always enjoy the challenge of where my post leads me. it rarely goes where i expect it to:)
thanks so much for visiting my blog. I wanted to visit and read several of your posts. I saw that your husband is a retired pastor? What denomination? I am the assistant to the senior minister at Trinity UMC and love serving God in this way.
nice to meet you again lisa:) yes, he is retired from working with the presbyterian church in america:) we have loved serving GOD this way too. not that it has all been sunshine and roses, but we have loved it…and grown a LOT through it!
well, i lost my comment:( my husband is retired from the pca (presby. church in america) we have loved serving GOD in this way too…altho’ it has definitely not been all sunshine and roses. knowing it is a calling helps get through the hard times for sure! But it also was used an an amazing time of growth in our lives too!
Beautifully written. . . and such an encouraging reminder for the season of life I’m in. From your FMF neighbor right after your post: http://judydunagan.com/2017/06/02/five-minute-friday-future/
i’m so glad you came by today Judy:) i stopped by your blog and love it:) blessings!
Martha, I knew when I saw your title where you would go with the prompt. I love the picture you paint! You know what though? ALL of our bodies are decaying and all of the redeemed have a stunning future! I LOVE this! Sometimes, even now in my early 50’s I cling to that stunning future where all the wrongs will be righted and sin and sorrow will be no more.
You are so right Christy 😊 It is the blessed hope for all of us who are in Christ, no matter what our age. But we don’t often think of it as much when things are going well, when we are able bodied, when we are younger, do we?
It definitely helps when we have fears and uncertainties and feel our short-term future doesn’t look appealing to keep our eyes on our eternal future that is amazing and absolutely certain. I enjoyed your post today!
thanks lesley:) hope you have a great day!
Martha, your hope and faith really shine through in this post…and they give me courage.
Tomorrow is going to hurt worse than today did, but in that unseen world…yeah, there’s a future beyond anything I can imagine.
Meanwhile, I have the present moment, a perishable gift from God. I need to use it well.
#1 at FMF this week.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/06/your-dying-spouse-318-pain-glory-and.html
so true andrew:) of course my words aren’t nearly as encouraging as GOD’s Word is, but His promises are very encouraging for sure:) blessings brother!
God is always reminding me of his grace. He did so with your post today, #fmffriend. Thank you so much for the reminder and the nudge to keep on. Have a blessed and beautiful weekend.
i’m so glad Carolina:) so nice to meet you and read your cool poetry!