Hammers, Fingers & Heaven
- November 22, 2000
(I was hesitant to share this with you, but our goal
is to be honest and open about our Christian walk, so
here goes.)
The other day I noticed some nails in our carpet
edging strip were sticking up so I grabbed my hammer and
went to work. They were tough ones so I really had to put
some arm into it and the noise brought our whole family
out to see what daddy was doing. There I was, feeling
like Mr. Fixit, proud restorer of all things broken, when
I raised the hammer and brought it down ... right on the
tip of my index finger. I promptly did the male dance of
extreme pain as blood spurted from my wounded appendage.
I didn't say anything, but at this moment every profanity
I had ever heard paraded through my mind. Standing with
my finger under the cold water faucet I thought, what was
that all about? I am a Christian and "if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new
has come!"-2 Cor 5:17. It's true that I'm not the man
I used to be, and yet all this filth is lurking somewhere
in my mind just waiting to rush to the surface.
Now that parts of us don't work so well and the parts
that do are stiff and achy, Pam and I talk a lot about
the new bodies we will receive one day (1 Cor 15:40-58).
Those new bodies will also have new minds, and all the
filth of this sinful world will finally be gone for good.
There's one more reason to thank God! Tomorrow when you
look back over the past year's blessings, take time to
offer thanksgiving for the great things God has promised
for your future. We Christians can honestly say ... The
best is yet to come!
