Water

Water - there's been a lot of it around recently.  Rain, floods, tsunamis, cyclone whipped seas.  We are so blessed to be able to live in such a peaceful valley, in such a peaceful state.  Yes, there's been some rain and there've been some floods around about but nothing compared to what we see on the telly every night.   We're seeing more of these because we have live TV and video cameras.  I'm not sure if we can say that they're happening more often - but we can say we are seeing them in HD right here, right now, in our living rooms - rewinding and rewatching them on our computers.  Until we can't watch anymore.

Just imagine watching your neighbour's house float past, or your friends' cows swimming by.  Try to feel the rising wind as it starts to tear your house apart so that the rain can get in and the sea can finish it off.  It's almost impossible to think about what it must be like to see a swelling tsunami powering towards your town carrying with it ships and the debris of the next town along the coast. What sort of fear would you feel?  Would you know what to do, where to go, what to cling to?  Would you have time?

Floods aren't just out there in nature though.  Sometimes we have flood events in our lives - when we wonder what to do, who can help, what to cling to.  I had that feeling not so long ago - a routine medical test made my doctor look a little panicky - he phoned me and said he needed to see me SOON.  Turns out I had a little something inside that looked like it was becoming a bigger something.  And they needed to get it out.  

So I made the appointments and I met with the doctors.  But not before I had a very private, and very frightening, meltdown - how can I tell my family, what will my kids do if this is something really nasty, when did I last tell my husband I love him, is all my paperwork up to date, what haven't I done that I promised I would?  What ON EARTH am I going to do if this is the end??

And then I remembered - Jesus has promised us that if we accept him as Lord and Saviour, then we will have eternal life - that doesn't mean that we have to put up with these dodgy old bodies forever.  He means that when it is time to go to Heaven, we will be with Jesus, and with our Father God and we will have an eternal life and new healthy bodies.  He means that if my family know that Heaven is a real place, then if the worst thing happens they will know without a doubt where I am.  

I placed my trust in the Lord, I prayed for a good outcome from my surgery. And if not, I prayed for the grace to manage the rest of my life - however long or short it is - with the knowledge that I know where my eternal home is.

Do you remember the TV ad that told the Bible story of the man who built his house on the sand.  And the man who built his house on the rock.  When the flood came the house on the sand was washed away, but the house on the rock stood firm.  I know Who my Rock is - and my house is firmly built on Him.  What about you?

If you want to know more, take a look at the Bible or drop in to your nearest Christian Church this Sunday.