I’m sure I’m not the only person involved in ministry who realizes things CONSTANTLY about his/her own life while preparing for a sermon/lesson/talk/whatever. When “Paul” writes to “Timothy” in 2 Timothy, he talks in verse 12 about having believed AND entrusted a deposit to God. Something we talked/studied all the time a few years back…Christ spoke a lot about things being complete, and not yet…at the same time. This is also true with our lives as Christians.
But how many times I sit back comfortably, almost as if I’ve “achieved” it finally? My life sighs with relief as I coast without even thinking on my “faith wheels”. I pray, I read about God. I even speak about God. But am I working on my faith? Not usually. Am I asking myself the questions that freak me out? Not often enough. Do I still feel like God loves me? Heck yeah.
But it’s not a living faith if I’m not daily living towards learning more, discovering more, etc. Asking the questions that freak me out…here are a few:
1. Imagining what it will be like when I die. (Heaven, Hell, flames, absence of God, and little lizard looking guys with horns,right?)
2. Will I know my wife after this life? Will it matter? I like to believe so.
3. When the Kingdom comes, how much will our pride of what we thought it would be like get in the way of us enjoying it?
4. What will these “new bodies” Paul talks about be like?
5. How does the spiritual realm interact with the physical that we think we know so well?
ETC…

Meanwhile, I just saw Abraham Lincoln come into Panera and get some coffee and a bagel. This would have shocked and surprised me, had I not lived in IL long enough to know a little bit about this crazy state. These people actually believe that they have some huge connection to the President, because he grew up here. I think that believed connection may have actually been strong enough to pull his spirit here into our physical world just long enough for him to experience the joys of Panera…and then off to Lincoln-afterlife again.

Will Illinoisians think of me in a hundred years? Will I go on to do great things in this world, and they’ll all think of me, build libraries and statues of me standing on swine? Will they say “he was our child”? I hope if someday, I’m chillin’ in the afterlife, and some sort of strong emotional connection calls me back into existence……I hope I’m conveniently close to a Panera like Abe was today. Maybe even a little banner overhead, “Welcome Back, Wick…Have some free coffee”. Abe had to pay for his….psshh. And they call themselves Lincoln-lovers.

Anyways….God…Paul….Timothy…..Lincoln…..these are some of the characters I’m chewing on this morning.:) I hope you’re having a great weekend.:)