I woke up from a dream in tears this morning. I don’t remember everything in the dream, but
the vivid picture left in my mind was this.
I was clutching the pant leg of my Grandad’s old overalls and pulling on
them, and crying out his name.
I had to get up immediately from that, my heart racing,
because it stirred the memory of his death and my loss.
After I caught my breath, the Lord brought a scripture to
me. “Do not love the world or the
things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not
in him. For all that
is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world”
Of course I had to look it up.
1 John 2:15-16. And just to be
sure I looked up other translations. The
New Living Translation says this: “Do not love this world nor the things it
offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father
in you. For the
world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we
see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the
Father, but are from this world.”
I pondered this. It was
clear in my dream that I was hanging on to my Grandad’s things. That is clear to nearly everyone who knows
me. I have his WWI uniform, letters he
wrote to my grandmother from France, some of his old tools, pictures of him,
and various and sundry other things. I
consider them the most valuable possessions I own. And why would that be? Because he was the
most important person in my life, showing me how to live, pointing the way to
heaven, and showing me the things of the earth.
But what of the overalls? I
have to say they were his signature clothing.
Well, those and his hat. In my
dream, this simple piece of clothing symbolized all that he was, being taken
from me. And the light came on. All of his stuff that I treasure, every
piece, are only worldly things. And the
thoughts went deeper. Any of my
achievements in this world? Only
dust. All of my hopes and dreams in this
world? Only dust. My grandads precious body buried in Colorado? Only dust.
But what of the treasures I have on this earth? What are those? My children and grandchildren? My brothers and sisters in the Lord? They
will also one day be Only dust on this earth.
And then it came to me. My
true and only treasure, is Jesus Christ!
He alone conquered the grave and lives forever! He is not dust! He is alive and real. And because of that one mighty selfless,
loving act, the act of dying on a cross for all the world’s sins, yes and for
mine also, and then conquering the grave by rising from the dead, He made it
possible that all those I loved may one day be more than dust.
So what will I do with my earthly treasures? One day I will leave, and someone else will
inherit them. I can hope that my children will cherish them, but they will not
have that same connection with them that I do.
If I did have those old overalls, I can guarantee that those would be
the first to go when I leave this earth, for there would be no “connection” to
my Grandad. They would not know or
remember the smell of Lava soap when they held them, nor remember sitting on
their scruffy knees listening to stories from the Bible. They would not understand the heart
connection, between myself and him, because that would not have been their
experience. It is after all the Heart
connection that hold us to the things of the past.
We tend to save things that mean something to us. Old photos, Flyers from events, birth and
death certificates, gold jewelry, old furniture, and yes if I had them, I would
have saved those old overalls. But this
dream caused me to question my evaluation of priceless things. What is priceless? The smile you can bring to an old person in a
nursing home, just by showing up to show them you love them. The sigh of relief of a poor person who,
realizing what you have done by buying them food, recognizes that you are
showing them love. The acceptance of
someone who has strayed far out of the path, and now, having come back,
realizes that your love for them was always there. What is priceless and
lasting? Love. It is the only thing on earth that means a
darn whit. It will make up for lost time, it will call the lost to be
saved. It will hold the hands of the
rejected and comfort the dying and lost.
It was my love for my Grandad that brought that dream to me. But more than that it was the love I
remembered he gave to me, to show me the way to heaven, where he now is,
without overalls. And bigger than that
was that he introduced me to the Creator who came to this earth and gave His
life for me because of His unimaginable love for me.
1 Corinthians 13
The
Greatest Gift
13 Though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass
or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body [a]to be
burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy;
love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not
provoked, [c]thinks no
evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the
truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies,
they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there
is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part
and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect
has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish
things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face
to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the
greatest of these is love.
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