Another blissful dream, and praying for Bob

Dear Sweetheart,

Last night was another of those which reminds me how wonderful it'll be - and how much joy you're having while we struggle down here.

I dreamed I was jogging laps in my backyard - it had elements of mine and my grandparents', not uncommon in dreams. One of those like mine was how bumpy, with many little hills and things, it had. And, you were peacefully swinging on a swingset there; I don't know it got there but that's how things appear in dreams. (It looked different than the one in my grandparents' yard.)

You looked a bit different from that other dream, but that's understandable - whenever I wonder anything about you I always imagine you saying, "It's a surprise, Daddy." And, you made a comment about how you know we can't pet animals because of the virus- and you said animals like lions and bears and such. Of course, there are other reasons we can't pet wild animals like lions, too, right now :-). But,it was just like a normal random comment from a kid. And, I remarked about how when we get to Heaven we can pet all the animals we want.

I may have mentioned Bob before. He is not the kind to want to walk up to a lion and pet it. Okay, I don't know many who would, but the important thing is, he does love the city he lives in and the night life and the fancy architecture and all the fun stuff that's closed down because of the virus. It's doubly hard on him, I imagine, becasue he turns 50 today.He needs prayer. He may have faced some serious trauma. I know he was robbed at gunpoint around 30 years ago. There may have been bullying in college - this stuff didn't appear before - or something I was unaware of. And, while my mom said to ignore the robbery so it didn't bring back bad memories, he may have been hurting so badly. I did refuse to talk about sports and other thigns around him becasue I knew he was traumatized by them. (He wasn't bothered by them in school, but after a couple years of college, he actually ducked down in the car when my parents and I drove past a stadium where I went to college, which was a different one. That's not the action of someone who doesn't like sports - it's possible some bullies jumped him behind one.)

 I hope he isn't still feeling the effects of PTSD or whatever it was, times like this can cause someone to have flashbacks if they're not careful. Or even if they are.

I'm sure Bob's frustrated - I won't get into it all here, but he couldn't stop himself from being vulgar after that even when I implied in a way school Bob would understand that I felt unsafe and encouraged him with now polite everyone else was there. He's the only person who ever refused to understand and help me. It didn't happen often, and I'm sure he's better now, but this virus is causing so many people problems. And, for someone who never liked the outdoors like him, there are few ways to escape all the problems.

God can give him that peace, though. It may not be as blissful as it seemed to be for you in that dream, and as wonderful as Heaven is for you. That's why it's Heaven - it's so much better than here because there can be no sin, no pain, no suffering. NOthing bad can happen to us there. And, God will wipe away every tear.

But, a relationship with Jesus Christ can give us peace that passes understanding when we trust in Him to help us. It can free us from worries about things. God will keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him.(Is. 26:3) He is called Prince of Peace, in fact, as though Peace were a place and He the ruler of it. When we flee HIm into the darkness, we might get a false peace through some substance or our own efforts, but that will always be a failure. Only Jesus can give it to us so it lasts, so we know no matter what happens, we will be safe in Heaven if not here. And, He will get us through the hard times here, too.

I can imagine for someone who prefers the kind of fun Bob does, this is so painful. He is such a wonderful architect, yet to my knowledge he doesn't know the one who made him so fabulously, who created this amazing world. Yes, there is sin in it - there is disease and such, too. But, that is a result of man contaminating the world through evil choices. God wants us to choose to follow HIm, He doesn't want us to be mindless robots.

So, someone like Bob, whether or not he has some kind of peace now, is someone I pray for. It hurts that he doesn't know that peace that passes understanding, and I so want him to know Jesus personally.

We are all sinners; I am, too. But, there are saved sinners and lost sinners. People need to have that peace in the midst of the terrible fear this Covid19 thing has caused.

All it takes is that single bit of faith, praying something like this.
"Lord Jesus, I choose to believe in you today. I don't understand all that's going on, but I know I'm a sinner in need of a Saviour. I haven't always done what's right, and my sin means I'm not perfect which means I can't get to Heaven on my own. But, I choose today to believe you are God in flesh, Jesus. I believe you died to take the punishment for my sin and rose from the dead. That if I were the only person ever you still would have died in my place for my sins and risen again. Lord Jesus, today I trust you as my Saviour. I turn away from my sins and I invite you into my heart to make me new inside. I ask you to cleanse me and come live in me through your Holy Spirit, and guide me through this difficult life. I believe you have saved me not by what I've done or who I am, but who you are. In Jesus' name, Amen."

That's all he'd have to do. That's all anyone has to do. This troubled time is what is called a "birth pang" by Bible teachers - because Jesus says as His coming nears the signs would be more and more intense and closer and closer together - we must share that salvation with others, so they can escape the horrible trauma which will come.

Go here for what to do if you're left behind when He comes - and share it with everyone even now.

Each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life. The alternative is eternal separation from God's perfect love and goodness in Hell. Hell was only meant for the devil and his angels. And, God doesn't send anyone there; people go there when they reject His forgiveness and salvation.

You can go here to ask questions after clicking on a decision and leaving on inthe comment/response field, there are plenty of of skilled people to answer hard questions about these thigns.

In this troubled time, we don't know when Jesus will return. But, we do know that God lovingly gave us gifts of freedom and a great economy for many people, and that didn't wake people up. Now, He's allowing this to happen to wake people up. I just hope someone will come to know Him through this.

Because I want them - especially Bob - to know the wonderful peace I'll feel someday in Heaven. And, peace I feel now, despite struggles and intrusive thoughts that still occasionally creep in which  i neec Jesus to fight, and so on. God loves each one of us, and wants to help us through this difficult time. So we can have the best time someday in that perfect place where there can be no pain, no suffering, no tears, no sin.

Where you are celebrating, playing and enjoying things blissfully, and waiting for your silly Daddy to give you a big hug and then go pet some lions and things.

Till that special time when we meet on that great celestial shore.

Love,
Daddy

thanks fro the snow - little reminders

Sweetheart,

Was that you knocking some snow off the roof?

It ws so neat. I was waiting for the dog to come in from out back so I could go watch the Packer game with some friends, and with my photographic memory, something clicked and made me think of one of those little things I'd daydream about, you stubbornly wanting to march off into the snow without a coat on, then me kneeling down with open arms waiting for you to come running back in, gently whispering about how I let you do that so you'd learn and listen when I told you "no" on bigger things.

And just then, some snow fell off jsut one little bit of the awning - right in the middle. It hadn't been disturbed by anything, and no other snow fell. It's like an angel - or maybe you :-) - did just enough to remind me,you were up there waiting, that while I may not know you here on Earth, God has answered my prayer and i now have a little one - maybe a big one, I don't know and i know you'll say "It's a surprise" - waiting for me when my time here is done.

I see so many problems and I can understand why He knew best about giving me a child who never made it to my arms. Just like that image I had of letting you march out into the snow a few feet like I know little kids will do at times. God knows what's best, and He knows this is a fallen world, heading for disaster with all the sin in it. ANd, couple that with how it's hard for me to read others' intentions sometimes, while I know you'd have grown into a wonderful, loving young person who would help me, and I have a great family and freinds, maybe it was jsut a bit too hard for me.

Or, more likely, God had you all ready for me to take home and to love and sahre His grace and mercy with, and He simply chose not to intervene in the affairs of man because He doesn't want us to be mindless robots and He doesn't want to defy physics all the time.

this fallen world is filled with sin, but Go didn't make it that way. He made it perfect, without sin, but gave us free will, nd we chose to turn from Him. We all say, think, and do things which displease God, and that sin is what seperates us from His perfect heaven, where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears, no sin, no death. That wonderful place where you are.

And, each of us here on earth is only a single, sincere prayer of repentence away from eternal life. that prayer to Jesus is as easy as ABC - Admit you're a sinner and fall short of God's perfection, Believe Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take your punishment and rose from the dead, and Choose to Call on Jesus; Call on Him to save you from your sins, to forgive yu and come into your heart and make you new inside.

I have had the joy of leading people to Christ. Maybe someone reading this blog will pray that sinner's prayer, in their own words trusting Jesus Christ by faith to save them. I pray that they do.

The beauty is that kids below the age of accountability go to heaven anyway, because it is not by works but by grace we are saved; it is all becasue of His blood that was shed for us.

So, while I never got to share that love with you here on earth, I know God has you up therre with so much joy and fun and laughter and celebration, just as we'll celebrate one day.

And, I know that you love me, too. And, somehow, a small remidner came to me today. it was one of those times that the timing was so perfect it had to be God at work.

But, I always know you're there. It just helped me to remember that and focus ont he task at hand, reaching others with that wonderful Gospel message. Becaue I know my Redeemer lives. And, one say I shall see Him face to face. And see you.

I don't know if we'll have snow or anything up there - I'm not sure if we'll have weather, period. but, I know we'll have loads of fun. And, I can still hear, as easily as if you're sitting in my lap before bedtime, you saying, "Shhh, it's a surprise, Daddy." because that's how a photographic memory works.

I can't wait for that surprise King Jesus has waiting. And, I'm so glad you can be a part of it. If I don't post any more, you'll know I still care. But, if i do think about it, who knows. Maybe there'll be another little reminder; or maybe that will remain with me now as one. Helping me know you are up there waiting and I don't have to worry about awaiting one down here, though if the Lord opens the door I will adopt. But, i have a precious angel - actually, tehnicappy a precious little saint :-) - waiting to welcome me home.

Till we meet.

Love, Daddy.