ART & INSPIRATION BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

The long weekend is giving us an extra day to have fun. We may have waited all week for this day to play golf or stretch out in a hammock for an hour or five. How about a trip to the beach or what if you’ve planned a special day to gather as a family and the power goes out. It’s 90 degrees with a dewpoint of 74. Is the party over? Is the golf game cancelled? These are little disappointments and of course we get over them, but what if you get a report that you have Cancer and you fret over the treatments, thinking of the strain this will put on your family. What if you lose your job and you’ve just put your John Hancock to a 30 year mortgage that would increase your budget greatly. What if you die?

It’s funny how the days slip by so quickly when you grow older. When we’re children we can’t wait to grow up; when we’re teens we can’t wait to get our driver’s license; when we’re in our twenties we can’t wait to move out on our own; then we can’t wait until we’re married, successful and finally retired. Even when we retire, we can’t wait for something.

Waiting for the things of this world isn’t easy. Our patience is tested every day. What we want in life is what motivates us, but what we want after this life is even more important. I want to go to heaven. I know that God has made that possible for me. The glorious truth is that the price for my ticket to heaven has already been paid. Knowing what’s waiting at the end of this life is a blessed thought. Much better than taking an amazing trip around the world, winning the lottery or living a life of luxury. The cost was unimaginable, but God graciously gives it with His unconditional love. I can’t wait!