I recently received my high school reunion invitation in the mail. Should I even say the twenty-fifth reunion? Wow, what a long time, but seems as though it were yesterday. Do we really ever forget high school? For this girl, I want to forget as much as I can. That was a time in my life when I didn't know Christ and my focus sure wasn't on Him. It was on me and trying to find my place. Although I must say, I never really found my place. Probably because I was looking in the wrong places and faces.Some have such great times in high school, and although I do have fond memories, it was a time in my life where my decisions were not the greatest. I think back on it as being such a time where I allowed great opportunities to pass by, while I fed my flesh of the world.
Needless to say, I will pass up this reunion of the past. So, how about you? Have you been to your reunions? Do you enjoy traveling to the past? People always say, "Don't you wish you could go back?" Well, no, not really. I like who I am today at 43. And each day I am growing into who Christ has called me to be. It's funny, when I was younger I didn't want to get older. But now that I am older, I love where I am, and wouldn't go back for anything. I am looking forward to the years ahead. Growing older doesn't bother me any longer. I am not so sure I liked that teenage girl who thought she knew everything. I think there is always a part of us that would like to go back and change a few things. You know that hindsight thing about 20/20 vision. I don't think we begin to see much clearer until we get much older. As our eye vision decreases, I think our vision of life increases. We begin to understand what is really important and what matters as we gain wisdom.
So as I look at this invitation, my RSVP will not be dated, signed and delivered. I know the past is gone, and the many things I wish I could forget are forgiven today. It's not that RSVP that is important to me anymore. Instead of thinking about my past mistakes, I try to focus on today and my future and I gotta tell ya, no matter what comes my future is sealed with Jesus. My invitation for heaven is signed, sealed and delivered. I am Yours Jesus!
See, this is the awesome part. When you walk into that reunion everyone knows you as you once were. They remember the wrongs, the mistakes, and the failures. They are looking at you on the outside, and seeing if you a success and judging you by the world's standards. They remember who was popular and who wasn't. But, with Jesus, in heaven? When I walk through those pearly gates, I will be greeted with love. Everyone will know me as I am, God's child, a child of love, and one who is perfect in Christ. No one will be bringing up all those silly things I did for attention. No one will be laughing at my failures, and seeing if I measure up. We will all be God's children and He will be loving us as if we were His only child. It will be the party I have waited for my whole life. The one I searched for in all the wrong places, trying to find peace and acceptance. But here, I will be accepted as a daughter of the King of kings. There will be no remembering of kings and queens all dazzled with crowns, we will have our eyes set on the King before us, and lay our crowns at His feet, giving Him all the glory and honor. Now that is a party I don't want to miss and one I have already sent in my RSVP. I don't know the time or the date, but I know I am ready to go. I know I will be on time and I will be at my best like never before.
We can get caught up on those reunions, we can get stuck in our pasts. Although there are times we love to remember, we don't have to stay there, and if we don't want, we don't have to revisit. We can focus on right now, and our future with Christ. Maybe you love those reunions and going back to see what was so long ago. But as you remember the past, don't forget to think about your future. We know where we came from, may we make sure of where we are going.
John 3:16-17 "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him."
