An Urn & Two Kingdoms

Going home to home and relative to relative this Chinese New Year, my mom suggested that we go visit my grandfather since it was just on the way home. We drove up to the columbarium, got out of the car and walked up to his glass cremation niche. And while we stood there in silence, God revealed something to me. I realized that in that glass case, was just a plaque, my grandfather's watch, his picture and an urn with his ashes. There was no life and no soul in there. My eyes re-focused on the glass and in the reflection I could see my family and I standing there, lives and souls on this earthly kingdom and on the other side, my grandfather's soul which was no longer here but in heaven, living a perfect life with God in His eternal kingdom.

For the first time, I could see the magnitude of it all. Standing there, I stepped back and I could see how small, wretched and frail we are here on earth. I saw the vast distance between us and a perfect, righteous and good God who sits on the throne in heaven.

"you own the skies and still you want me heart" my friend tweet yesterday, and the statement rang loudly and clearly through my head. Not only does our almighty God own the skies, but he owns the universe. He has everything, He doesn't need anything else, He doesn't need us either, yet out of love and only love he chooses to endlessly pursue each and everyone one of us, wanting our hearts,  and wanting us to run back into his arms. He wants us to know and love Him so much that He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to this broken and corrupted world to dwell with us, to walk with us, and ultimately die for us so that our wickedness may be washed by His blood on the cross. For those who believe, obey and hold fast to His word, He gives eternal life and the Holy Spirit to guide us closer to our loving Father. How good is our God. Oh how He loves us.

The one whose hands knit you in your mother's womb, the one who placed the stars in the skies, your Heavenly Father who loves you so dearly is calling out to you. How will you respond?

verse of the day: John 3:16-21

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”