Longing...

 (I knew I had heard that teaching about eternity from somewhere so I went searching for it and found it in my archives from 2006. I'm reposting it today because my feelings have been stirred into such a longing.)

Does anyone know why we Christians have such longing in our spirits?

Adrian Rogers preached not too long ago
about this Eternity imprint in out hearts. We are made for eternity and we are in these temporary tents called physical bodies. When someone close to us dies, we feel grief because of the parting and if they are really close to us, we yearn to be with them. We just know this parting is not normal. We are built for eternity. Isn't that the sweetest message you've heard? It was to me. It explained why I longed so.

There is a CD that goes along with Beth Moore's study The Patriarchs. You can order the Bible study from Lifeway.com. Or you can get the CD separately at Travis Cottrell's website at TravisCottrell.com. The reason I bring that up is because there is this song on that CD The Patriarchs that just catches my heart. Words are by Beth Moore and the Music is by Travis Cottrell.

I am longing, longing,
For a place I cannot find
A place no one has told me
A land of a fairer kind.

You have kept Your promise to me
I have all a man could want
Yet I stare into the distance
I ache and still I long.
I'm surrounded by Canaan
Laughter echoes loud
I've loved and lived and followed
Built altars and I've bowed.
I'm longing.

(chorus)

O foolish man, O dreamer
ungrateful in my lot
Am I not here? Is this not dear?
What else could yet be sought?
Where are You, Lord, where are You?
Where is the home You, keep?
You came and wakened longing
Then You hid within the deep
And I'm longing.

(chorus)

I yearn to hear Your voice again
To feel Your presence near
You showed me there is
So much more, so much more then
left me longing here.

Somewhere beyond the stars
I counted one by one
A better country calls me
"Come home, true Canaan's son."

That is it. God awakened an awareness of a better place and infinity with Him. It is He who is in me that is yearning to return home to Him.

Don't you think the Holy Spirit yearns to bring us all together in unity?

A few years ago, I was getting my college transcripts so I could finish my schooling. I was walking across my old campus admiring the changes and I saw this beautiful young woman walking towards me. At first she wasn't smiling, then she caught my look and we burst into grins, yet we were still at many yards apart. It seemed that the world dropped away and it held only the two of us as we walked towards each other, grinning like sunshine. When we finally reached each other we grabbed each other's hands and said together,


if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2Ch 7:14

Spontaneous.

Awesome.

We hugged and then walked on our way. The Holy Spirit in her recognized and rejoiced at seeing the Holy Spirit in me. She was black and I am white but the Holy Spirit is color blind. He saw Himself and rejoiced. That is the most astounding thing. I never saw her again, but I am quite positive that I will sit with her in Heaven and we will chat about so many things that we have in common. I love that it happened. God showed me a tiny glimpse of what it will be like in heaven. We will see someone that should be a total stranger, but we will know each other instantly and love them beyond measure because they belong to God. That is something to look forward to, for sure!