Ending

Whatever you believe about heaven, whatever you believe about how the world (as we know it) will end, whatever you believe the Second Coming is (or isn't) - there's no denying it. This planet is shuddering to a grinding stop.

Last night my son mentioned something his teacher had said about the end being very soon (which was a little far-fetched, so am not going to re-tell it here!), and it got me thinking.

Am I so focussed on the little things that I've forgotten the big picture? Here I am, worried about what church is, what others are doing. Looking for more money, a better job, increasing my possessions and planning trips across Africa. All of which may simply not happen.

The Bible says the end will come "like a thief in the night" (all of you who know your Bible way better than me, don't judge my interpretations...). As in "the time of Noah" we'll be going about our daily business, indulging in our human whims and fancies, worried over things that will not last forever - and BAM! we'll be surprised! (that's my belief - you might think we have a few thousand years still)

There's no denying that the planet and humanity are collapsing quickly and surely. Every day another "natural" disaster, worse than the last, arrives somewhere (how did we manage to mess up this world so much that we've doomed ourselves?). Every day mankind gets more violent, selfish, uncaring, evil. If you look for the signs of the end of the world, they're there - right in your face, horrifically close. Yet we simply choose not to see, and carry on with life as normal.

Last night, lying in the bath and pondering all this, I realized I may have lost perspective. That I have not taught my son about God the way he should know Him. That I have neglected prayer and a desperate seeking after God, instead just drifting along as the wind blows and seeking my own path (which each of us must do, but it can become a straying instead of staying). I've lost focus, and I'm not sure I'm saved. To tell the truth, there's a spark of panic and fear that rears up when I realize how far off course I may be...

Serious stuff for a Wednesday morning, I know. But what could be more serious than Forever?

(By the way, I have my own set beliefs about what will happen between now and heaven, and what heaven/hell are. I realize there are a huge amount of different opinions out there, and each of us could prove ours from the Bible. But if you would like to share, I'd be interested to hear your perspective! Email me with your thoughts - michelle dot bainbridge at gmail dot com)