My Determination!

Tonight my heart is filled with joy! I am not starting with a scripture verse, although I am sure before I finish writing one will come to mind.

I have served the Lord most of my life. As a matter of fact, I gave my heart to Jesus when I was a child of about nine years old. I attended a Baptist church at that time with my family and I enjoyed going to church.

My mom had recently passed and I grieved as any child would grieve for her mother. One thing I distinctly remember about that time in my life: I was willing to do anything for God. 

Mother’s Day came and I was still grieving. I was in the church choir and they asked me to lead a song. Now I can hold a tune, but I am no soloist. The song they asked me to sing had the following words:

In a lonely graveyard, many miles away,

Lies your dear ole mother, neath the cold, cold clay.

Memories oft returning of her tears and sigh

If you love your mother meet her in the sky.

Looking back, all I can think is, that was a horrible song to ask a grieving child to sing. Absolutely horrible!  I would be livid if I was around someone trying to do this to a child today. I cried during that song, and so did everyone who knew me, and everyone who had lost a mother. That was the goal: draw emotion. I cried the first time I shared this story with someone, and I was an old! Brrrrr! But I am still determined to meet her in heaven!

The other thing that is marked in my heart is, we used to tell “our determination”. And every single Sunday, I would go up to the front of the church and tell my determination, which was “to make heaven my home”. Now although I don’t necessarily feel that was a great thing to do, I am just as determined to make heaven my home.

I bring this up to say that both of these incidents influenced me as I lived my life. My heart has always been turned towards heaven. I can assure you I have no wish to leave this earth a single second before the Lord calls me home; however, I have realized that I don’t have to wait to go to heaven to experience heaven.

Recently we have begun studying the kingdom of God in Bible Study and I for one have a profound assurance that I am a part of the Kingdom of God. When I think about the wonderful things God has done and is doing in my life, my family, and my church, I know we are experiencing a touch of heaven.

I still desire to make heaven my home, but right now my determination is to bring heaven to earth and to expand His kingdom. I pray for a stronger anointing, I pray for power, I pray for wisdom, and I pray to be effective in all that He asks of me to do. That’s my determination and I hope every post I share will shout that message out: We’re bringing heaven to earth and we’re expanding His kingdom. Yes, my mother will be in heaven when I get there, but it is Him I will be looking for!

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.-Acts 10:38 

I want to be just like Him! Wonderful Jesus!