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Not My Best Life Now

JodiOctober 1, 2020

Growing up, my best friends and I always envisioned living right next to each other, spending time together and watching our children grow up as best friends. We spent countless hours talking without the hindrance of realism that comes with adulthood about how it would all play out. Reality would come later when we all went to different schools in different cities and met significant others that eventually scattered us across the state and later across the country. We have stayed in touch and some of our children are “friendly” although not the best friends we had hoped. This past weekend I had the rare opportunity to spend a whole weekend with my best friend since the 3rd grade. I can’t remember ever having this much time with her alone since high school. We had the ultimate girls weekend that did indeed include my family at times but mostly allowed a lot of one on one time that was precious. We didn’t have an agenda but rather just enjoyed our time going from one place to the next, making it up as we went along. We enjoyed laughter, silliness, shopping, good food, and better conversation. There was no rush, no competition, no agenda. It was a glimpse of heaven.

I long for a time when we finally leave the stress, the hurrying, the fighting, the worry- all of it behind- and finally get to to truly live our best life- our eternal life. No matter how hard we try we will never live our best life now. This has become a catch phrase for a generation that either does not have the hope in salvation through Jesus or else have become so wordly minded that they have lost sight of all that has been promised to us. Thank goodness that even my best day isn’t my “best life now” because it would pale in comparison with what awaits. We have to remember this when times get tough- and they will inevitably get worse before Jesus returns.

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

2 Corinthians 5:1

My earthly body is falling apart and even my new construction earthly house is decaying. I don’t mourn the fact that I didn’t get to live next to my friends in this life or that we have had precious few opportunities to have fun girls weekends all over the country every year like we had planned. I know that our city or country dwellings in the new heaven and new earth will be gorgeous abodes personalized just for each of us by Jesus himself and we will literally have all the time in the world to hang out at each other’s homes, talking and spending true quality time and making beautiful memories with each other and our loved ones where old friendships will be rekindled and made stronger and new friendships will be established. God has created us to be in relationship with one another and he longs to give us the desires of our hearts when they align with his own design. My “girls” and I will be together again one day soon and until then, I can be content to make the most of the time I have left to do the work He called me to do. May we all seize the day while keeping an eye on the horizon.

♥