I wrote this post a few days back and somehow forgot to post it.....so it'll seem a bit outdated, but here it goes anyway!
I believe it was Max Lucado who first coined the phrase "eternal moment". It was his way of describing something so wonderful that it must be a glimpse, given by God, to us, to show us in some small way what heaven will be like. Do you ever have those moments? I get them all the time. If I were to track them, I bet they come right after those times of discouragement, as I've had so many since that rough period a few days ago. Yesterday was full of them.
Don't get me wrong. My eternal moments are certainly balanced by "Earthly moments"! I've been trying to wake up early even though school is out and that hasn't been a problem at all - the flies are making sure of it! Every morning, by 5:30 am, I'm literally forced out of bed by these annoying little beasts, but that's ok - it led to the onslaught of eternal moments. Coming downstairs, I was immediately greeted by this breeze literally from heaven. We don't have air conditioning and this summmer, as a cost cutting measure, I don't even think we are going to put in the window units. But oddly enough, I'm not minding it. It's as if God has brought the breeze along just for us. I have had no trouble sleeping at all and that is just with a ceiling fan. We keep all the windows open downstairs all night long, so when I walk in the kitchen I'm met with the smells of summer, the sounds of summer and yes, the flies of summer. But the good far outweighs the bad. I found myself immediately thanking God for all those wonderful blessings - the sights, the sounds, the smells.
After writing, coffee, reading or exercise, slowly but surely one by one the kids came downstairs. The other day my now 4 year old, came down, stopped, stood in the doorway with a very serious face on, a nerf gun in one hand, held over his head. He slowly proceeded to bring it down and then suddenly shot me! It was the funniest thing. All I could think of was, "This is going to be an interesting day with him!" But yesterday, it was my oldest daughter's big day. She had her first driver's ed. class! I was so excited! She was so excited! Her Dad, not so much. He found it to be a very emotional experience. This is the same Dad who cried for a week when she was born because he knew one day she would get married and leave him. He hadn't anticipated crying about driver's ed! Poor Daddy. It was an eternal moment for me as I felt so happy that we could help move her along in her life of maturing, gathering more skills. She was with another good friend so I knew she was in good hands. It was her first kind of "public school" experience in a classroom with 30 others. I wondered how she would find it. No surprise - tons of wasted time, a few goof balls, but all in all she enjoyed the whole day - 3 more days left! Then the in-car!!!!
After she left in the morning my other kids were hanging out with the missionary kids - I don't know what my kids are going to do when they leave! They love these guys! They are having so much fun! Even though the missionaries were on their way to go preaching, somehow the kids came up with the idea to sell smoothies at the side of the road. My kids have been doing this on the weekends, but I didn't think it would work knowing everyone was about to leave and it wasn't a weekend, so I knew no one would come. I kept discouraging it, but they wouldn't relent! So fine, go ahead. Suddenly they had tons of customers! All the missionaries came by and bought them and really loved them! They bought more and more and then for all their kids! It was breakfast in a cup! Now I was involved because they were getting behind in production! It was fun and yet another eternal moment as we were able to bless the missionaries - they paid the kids, but I'm going to suggest they donate the money back as they are missionaries after all!
Soon after that, the missionaries, in their 4 vehicles pulled out in a convoy-type line out of our driveway. It was the coolest thing to see - they looked like an army going off to war. It was a really neat picture and so powerful as they all waited in line for the leader of the group to go first. Then they headed out all at the same time - it was so powerful to see, it's hard to describe, another eternal moment. I prayed as they left knowing they were off to battle. It turns out it was one of their best days yet. They had one woman come up to them as they preached with tears streaming down her face, repenting of her sins, knowing she needed to be saved. Another man also came up to them. He had just been told he had less than 2 years to live and he didn't have any salvation assurance. They met with him, too. They also had a major heckler (I guess they do at all events), even the police came up to them, but this time they weren't stopped.
After they left, there was a quietness and I was left with my littlest ones. My husband, who is now officially a farmer in the eyes of our province (he just got the paperwork in the mail - he's so excited!) went off to cut hay for the first time with his new "cutter", a piece of farm equipment that he bought this summer to save money. He's determined to not pay anyone to do something he can do himself. The kids and I sat in the shade of our big tree and watched as he made the first cut - it was yet another eternal moment. I loved watching him. I love the fact he's doing something outdoors, maybe not enjoying the weather, but doing something God created a man to do! Taking dominion of the land - it was awesome! He actually does love doing it, and he does love being outside - he's put in his time in a desk and chair and is quite happy to be out and about, though he is suffering physically from the hard labour, but he sees it as proof of a good day of work.
Shortly after we all loaded up and got in the van with the remaining kids and went for a swim at a friend's house who is away - we're "pool-sitting"! On the way home one of my older sons said, "This has been the best summer ever!" Those are such great words for me to hear! I used to think it was only a good summer if you went on tons of vacations or went to amusement parks or went to a cottage every weekend - no longer. I asked him why he was enjoying his summer so much. He said it was seeing people, having the missionaries over, going to pools, to the beach, doing hay - none of those things have really cost us any money, yet, to him, it was the best summer ever. So once again, an eternal moment. I really walked around all day, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord." It's like the Psalmist says in Psalm 40,
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell them, yet they are more than can be told."
So true, so true. He heard my cry and lifted me out of the miry bog. A new song is in my mouth. I hope many do see or read and put their trust in the Lord as well. I had gone astray after a lie for a time, thinking certain things, like vacations, would make me happy. The truth is, I'm on vacation every day here! May I not go astray after that lie again. The Lord needs to be my trust. He multiplied his wondrous deeds towards me with the endless list of eternal moments yesterday - I love the verse that says, "I will proclaim and tell them, yet they are more than can be told." That's how I feel. There are more than can be told. Yes, I had many earthly moments yesterday, mostly involving the four year old - that boy....... but the eternal moments were countless. I feel God turned His face towards me and as always, I'm so grateful.
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