Ireland....What do you think when you hear that? Someone says, Ireland, what kind of thoughts go through your mind? Why those thoughts?
Since I was little, I've dreamed of going to Ireland. Every time I heard/hear Irish music, I'm right back to the dream, wonder, and love for that country. Why is that?
Lately I've had the opportunity to watch similar reactions in other people too. I'll tell them that I'm getting ready for my trip to Ireland in "X" amount of time, and they'll get this distant, glassed over, dream like, staring off into space look. For just a moment they are back to their dreams of seeing that Fair Land Across the Sea. Why is this? What makes us desire to see another country so much that we have never been to?
It reminds me of this quote from C.S. Lewis - "If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world." Goodreads
Not that it isn't impossible to try and fulfill the longing to see Ireland but in the end does a visit/move there really satisfy our longing/dreams of seeing it? We, at least me, grew up hearing heartwarming, heart wrenching, heartsick, heart longing Songs and Stories from there. That we become attached to a dream of it in our imagination, thinking on how wonderful it must be to see. But in the end, when we finally make our journey there, is it what we dreamed it would be or does it not quite measure up?
What if our dreaming and longing is misplaced? What if, like C. S. Lewis said, it is a desire that really can't be satisfied in this world? What if it really is just a longing for that perfect place of beauty, love and family? What if the dream of Ireland is really just a shadow of another place? What if in actuality the place we are really dreaming of won't be reached till we "fall asleep" here on Earth? What if that perfect place is actually Heaven, the real one, not a shadow or ideal but the Real Heaven?
Why don't we think of Heaven like we think of Ireland? Why don't we dream and long for Heaven? Is it because it would be like we are desperate to die? Not so! For those who are Followers of Jesus Christ - “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
The Romans 10:9 JUB
http://bible.us/1077/rom.10.9.jub
If that is who you are then you can dream away of Heaven. Now when a person is about to "fall asleep" they could. say I'll be in Heaven soon/one day! Then they see that distant, glassed over, dream like, staring off into space look in their Loved ones eyes. Maybe more people would be excited to be able to one day see it, that they couldn't hold it in, they have to tell people about it. Cause you know as Christ Followers, that is our True Home. This place on earth is only a Shadow of a Perfect place.
What If we really did truly Long for Heaven instead. How would that change us?
Good question. :)
So good. Growing up I always had a sense of restlessness. Like I was being prepared to do something "big" and "exciting". But watching life slip by feeling like a spectator and with nothing "big" ever happening, I started to question the restlessness that had plagued me for so many years. I found that only God can fill the void in our hearts and all along I was trying to find appeasement through traveling, moving, doing big things. I realized you can be at perfect peace living whatever life God calls you to. Whether it be moving across the world, or living at home. It took me a long and hard time to learn that, but it was a lesson I was glad to learn :)
ReplyDelete