What Next?
Colleen Campbell
Since I’ve retired, I have more time to ponder all the “what ifs” that hang out in my head. Some of them I quickly discard, but often they are questions I want to ask God or other people. For many of them, I’ll have to wait to ask God, but there is one I’d like to ask you to think about…
What Next?
If you were to drive by my home at night, you’d see that I still have two small Christmas trees lit in my house. The one that is closest to my chair has small white lights, and it’s the second thing I turn on in the morning (after the coffee maker). My husband thinks it’s time to put it away, and I’ve had students question if that was a Christmas tree they saw in my window one year in March. Yes, yes, it is. First of all, I love the reminder of Christmas, and secondly, the lights reflect the real reason for Christmas…the Light of the World.
Now lest you judge me, I will tell you that once the presents were opened and the wrappings disposed of, I boxed up the rest of the decorations until next year and got rid of all the Christmas goodies. I love Christmas, but I also appreciate it when the quiet finally settles in. But once I had recovered from all the celebrations, I realized I felt kind of depressed. I had spent the last month focused on preparing for the celebrations, and now they’re finished. It reminded me of a song title from my teen years, “Is That All There Is?”
I thought back to another time that involved more preparation: when we were preparing for our first baby. It was so exciting to read the baby books, plan the nursery, go shopping, and have showers for the baby. But guess what, after the baby was born and we settled into a routine, that too, lost its excitement. We could have another baby, and we did, but that can’t go on forever. Again, I thought, "what’s next?”
You’ve probably experienced this in some way after other events in your life. Maybe it was a big accomplishment like high school or college graduation. You’ve accomplished that goal. Now act? Perhaps you’re married and you remember all the planning, preparation, and attention that went into getting ready for a wedding. Yet after the honeymoon, it’s back to real life.
There are many such events in life, big and small. Maybe after working hard in trying out, you made a team or a play cast. Perhaps it’s a big game or sporting event that you played or even just watched, but chances are the next day you had to go back to school or work. Or, if you had actually played in, and won the Super Bowl, you may get to go to Disney World, but that too, has an end date.
Some bigger life events could be preparing for the birth of a child or grandchild, a new job or vacation, a new home, or retirement. But after all the excitement and preparations for these come the next day. Now what?
Ok, let’s think bigger, the biggest event of all…when your time on earth is done. One may ask, “Is that it? Is that all there is?” Some think they have their time on earth and then that’s it. They’ve had their turn and now it’s time for someone else to experience it. Perhaps you think you will enjoy everything you can now and worry about the rest later. Then what’s the point of going through all the joys and sorrows of this life, if that’s all there is? Others have heard of heaven and hell and think they’re good enough to go to heaven, or if they think they’re headed to hell, they claim they’ll party like they do here on earth.
If you think you’re fine without God, you WILL be without Him, and it won’t be fine! Hell will be separation from God and any of the good things He allowed you to experience here on earth. It will be pain and sadness that will go on forever! Wrap your head around that! But if you acknowledge that you are sinful and mess up even when you want to do better, if you know you need someone to be righteous because you just can’t, have I got good news for you!
Jesus lived the perfect life that God requires, and He stepped in to take your punishment. He died so you could go to heaven, and talk about a celebration! Life in heaven with God, full of love and joy forever! Now wrap your heart around that. Choose wisely, friend.
As I wrote this, I was reminded of Peter’s response to Jesus in John 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” It is my hope and prayer that you, too, can say this along with Peter.