First-hand, Invaluable Experience

Good morning on this day in Heaven's training camp for wayward sinners. It takes a rebirthing in the Spirit to enter this camp, but those who once claimed the title Worst of the worst are here. Strangely to those looking from the outside, many of those who once claimed to be Best of the best are here too. Self-righteous or as far from righteous as may be conceived in the mind of man, the former title holders have come to be saved by the Lamb. In between the extremists are the rest of us. We may leave to Paul the title of worst of sinners, and we well know that in our former life of sin we could not claim to be best at much of anything. Yet, Jesus opened the gate for all those who believed in Him. Along the way through the sheepfold training camp we gained some experience.

The experience we gain in this life is first-hand and invaluable. None of the trials and tests we endure in Christ are available to those in Heaven. Peter told us that angels look on us and strive to learn from us. After we graduate to live with Christ forever, our accumulation of testing experience will be done. Right now, here in this life, we are living those experiences that will never come again. And thank God for that! However, let us strive to learn all that we can as we endure with God's encouraging, strengthening, and loving hand these trials and tests in this life. The trials Jesus endured He only went through one time, and like our Lord we will have this one short life to gain that first-hand, invaluable experience. Will it all be dropped away and forgotten in Heaven?

I don't believe so. God will dry our tears and we will have no more pain, but I think what we could call "Earth stories" will be a valuable part of Heaven. Perhaps writers like me will have the honor of collecting and writing those stories for all to read in Heaven. Today, don't take your story for granted. Long may it stand in the archives of Heaven, that unique and invaluable story that only Jesus can write on the lives that are you and me.

God bless you all,
Bucky