Thursday, October 13, 2005

Lasts...

Seems like this word keeps coming up in conversation...LAST...

I don't really like the word but I keep hearing it and in hearing it am having to face it I suppose. I will drive to Lancaster tomorrow and see my cousin and it will be the LAST time I'll see her for a while. I got out of the car with Momma Grose tonight and as I hugged her like I've done so many weeks before, it hit my heart that that would be the LAST ride home from Bible study we'd have together to mull things over and talk like we've done so many times. Tonight was our LAST Beth Moore study together with this group of gals I've met with for the past couple years every Thursday night. This weekend will be my LAST ladies retreat for a while. Next weekend will be the LAST time I'll get to hear Momma Grose speak to a group of gals and I'll get to be the cheerleader as she ministers. Some day soon it'll be the LAST time I'll hug my precious little nephews for several months and get to eat dinner with my family. It's just a season of lasts in some ways in my world right now.

A season of firsts is also right around the corner. The FIRST time I'll get to bring one of those babies home from the state run orphanage. The FIRST prayer before bedtime. The FIRST sleepyheaded hug in the morning. The FIRST time I get to share bible stories with a precious little heart. The FIRST time I am able to carry on a conversation in Spanish. The FIRST week in a Spanish church with Honduran brothers and sisters. The FIRST time I hear the word momma and it refers to me. Lots of FIRSTS also...

Made me think tonight about Heaven I guess. Truth of the matter is there are people who are living on this planet that when the word LAST is used it comes with such a finality and a gavel's pound with it. When the last has come there is nothing more to follow. I love the fact that in my world as painful as they may feel at the moment, my LASTS are not forever. Some day I'll sit with these sweet sisters whether it be here or around a crystal lake. Some day I'll eat dinner not just with my family but with all God's family. Some day my lasts will all fade into the best season of firsts I've ever known. The firsts of Heaven which will have no lasts.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Jenny,
I just found out about your "blog" site today from Aunt Ruth Ann so thought I'd read through some of them tonight. I'm so proud of you I could just pop. I'm here by myself crying at the computer after reading the part about Michael and Carley. I pray that he, Candy, Angie, James, and Megan all find the Lord soon. I think Megan thinks about baptism a lot but she just won't take that step. Maybe you could e-mail her sometimes and encourage her without pushing. There's a fine line. I thought maybe after Ryan was baptized, she would follow but nothing yet. I love you for you and for what you are doing for God. I'm using an excerpt of one of your postings in the bulletin tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

If you didn't figure the first comment out, this is Aunt Janet. Never been a blogger before!!!

Anonymous said...

God bless you! God blesses you immeasureably and I thank you for sharing.