Forever

What we know is temporary. What we see passes away. It withers and slips like sand through an hourglass. We always long for forever.

How we define ourselves is also temporary. Roles like husband and brother are important but they too are momentary and finite. We put our greatest hope in loved ones, but even their love is not forever.

As W.H. Auden wrote about his wife who passed away:
She was my North, my South, my East and West
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song,
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

Our life is defined by things coming and going; never staying, never remaining.

We see the remnants of something great all around us. We see the broken down pieces of things that once stood proud and magnificent. We all know this is not what our creator intended. We are crying “help us…please” from the rubble and the rocks groan with us.

The resurrection gives us our first forever.

In Christ, joy is never fleeting, triumph is never temporary and His mercy is new every morning.

We crave consistency and God delivers. He is grand as music and as tall as time and as we begin to unwind in the knowledge of his peace our helpless, frail bodies cry out from our knees.

Where his name rings out, there is power. Can’t you feel it? May every tongue confess his glory. May every word express his majesty. May every breath be Your delight, oh God.

Grant us forever.

We want it dearly. We hope temporary is replaced with forever. Momentary is replaced with infinite. Broken with restored. Lost with found. Hurt with healed. Depressed with joy. Defeat with victory. Loneliness with family. Incomplete with whole.

We hope we are replaced with You and that you would magnify in us, oh Lord.