Gettin' Our Praise On!

Last night was a "Guys night". The men in our SS class met for dinner while us wives, managed at home with the children. After eating a wonderful meal of leftover chicken and rice casserole (wonderful b/c I didn't have to cook it!) and giving baths, I walked in the living room and what would you know, one of my favorite songs was playing on the radio. I turned it up real loud and about two seconds later it was over. I had caught the very end of it. I hate when that happens!

I unfortunately don't have the song on a CD or else I would've popped it in. I went on a mission. I went to Google and thought maybe someone would have a posting of it. I typed in "I'll Fly Away"-yes the old gospel, country song, that's the one. I love the new one on the radio it's a contemporary, hip version. I finally found a video from a church where a man played it on the violin and it was accompanied with piano and drums. There were no words and since Randol and I aren't too confident after the second stanza, I looked up the words.
I had Foster in my lap and I turned that music up so loud and Randol and I sang at the top of our voices and Foster clapped and swayed along with us. Randol said, "That's the song you want us to sing at your funeral right mommy?" She has heard me tell my husband that many times. Sounds morbid I know, but it's true! A few months ago our music minister, Justin played that song with a violin and it was infectious. You could feel it go through your whole body, the rejoicing, the happiness of being in heaven with our Heavenly Father. And I told Wesley, "One day in about 60 years hopefully, I want someone to play that song at my funeral, the upbeat version!"

I was reminded last night of one of Beth Moore's posts. She talked about singing her praise and dancing with her grandson. How happy it makes the Lord when we praise Him! I know that last night He had a smile on His face!

We so often associate death with sadness or fear, but that song reminds me of the joy in death. The joy in leaving this life behind and living with "no shackles on my feet", no weariness in my body, and "where joy will never end". Is there really such a place? If only we could always have that eternal perspective, that eternal promise, things in this life would be so much more bearable.

I once heard someone say that to a christian, earth is as close as we will ever get to hell and to a non-christian, earth is the closest they will ever get to heaven. Heaven on earth? Yall, there is just no such thing! We may have our "heavenly moments" I call them, but they are fleeting and do not last. We have to hold on to that promise that we will live in paradise and walk along those streets of gold and actually see those huge pearly gates that are made out of only ONE pearl! And even better, we will get to bask in the glow of the real Son, the Light that will never fade.

Keep your eyes straight ahead, focused on the One true leader. Don't look beside you or behind you, keep your eyes on Him and He will lead you out of whatever pit you are in. He longs to "gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."(Matthew 23:37). Oh my dear friend- BE WILLING!!! He has set eternity in our hearts (Ecc.3:11) now go live your life knowing that one day, you will fly away to "God's celestial shores..."
Ahhh...some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away...