Old And New

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."”

Revelation 21:3-4 ESV

This time last summer, my high school graduating class got together to have our 20-year reunion. I was looking forward to attending but due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn't able to make it. 

In spite of the fact I wasn't there, I did get to see some pictures of those that were able to attend. Most of the faces I saw had changed in 20 years of life. I am sure some of the stories were vastly different than the ones that saw themselves living 20 years ago as well. The chapters were surely filled with both victories and defeats, something you can read in their eyes. 

The beauty of those type of events is that we all can get together and we can each share our journey and our stories. For a lot of people, it is the first time they have seen any of their old classmates since they graduated. For those reasons alone, times like these are great because you can see where people have been and where they are headed. 

But as I have reflected on this the last few days, I can't help but think about what heaven will be like. That is the ultimate reunion. Friends and family that have gone on before us, all waiting to greet us as we arrive. The martyred Christians and being able to hear their stories told in real-time. Sitting and listening to Paul speak about his ministry. But the ultimate reunion we will have will be with Jesus Christ. And it won't be like reconnecting with an old classmate or an uncle we haven't spoken to in the last 40 years. I still can't help but think of the feeling that will rush over me as I get the opportunity to worship Christ will all those folks that have gone on before me. What a thought!