Are You Ready to Meet Your Maker? (My Dream)
Last night I had a dream. It was one of those shocking ones that jolts you emotionally and where you think long and hard about what you can take away from it. Even though it was very difficult to witness what I did in my sleep, I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to once again be challenged about where I am investing my time and how my walk is before Him.
In my dream, our eight year old son and I were walking into a public swimming pool complex. We got there just three minutes before they were closing, but the guy at the entrance let us in. We were joyful and glad to have made it in time. There were two swimming pools, one that was clearly for children and a very large one where adults were swimming.
As we were walking in between the two swimming pools, I sent my son ahead to go put his towel down and hop into the children’s pool, which he obediently did (I told you I was dreaming :-)). I was wearing regular clothes with shoes, and just after he walked off, I slipped in a puddle right beside the large pool and slipped backwards into the water. Now, ordinarily, this would just be another incident to add to my most embarrassing moments collection, however, one thing turned it from a casual accident to a life-threatening experience. I can’t swim (in real life or in dreams!).
So there I was, plunged on my back into deep waters. And they were deep. I remember being amazed at how bottomless the pool seemed. Deeper and deeper I sank.
The first emotion I felt was peace. I would have thought that I would panic more in such a situation, but I was surrounded by the peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:7).
The next thing was that a Casting Crowns chorus from this song came into my mind:
If we’ve ever needed You, Lord, it’s now, Lord, it’s now,
We are desperate for Your hand, we’re reachin’ out, we’re reachin’ out.
All the while I was waiting and expectant that someone will jump in and save me. There were people standing all around the pool, but I wasn’t sure if anyone noticed that I fell in, and I was sinking so deep that I began thinking that even if someone was on their way it would take a while to reach me.
The dream was so vivid. And I woke up before knowing how the story ended.
I was shocked and found myself trying to complete the various possible outcomes in my imagination.
But then I realized that how the dream ended wasn’t really important for me to know. The crucial question for you and I to ask isn’t “Did I make it?” No. It’s far more imperative than that. This is what we we should be asking:
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Because it will happen, my friend. Possibly tomorrow, perhaps in six months, definitely within the next 80 years. But one thing is for absolute 100% certain. Meet our Maker, we will!
So, are you ready?
You see, during those seemingly endless seconds while my life hung in the balance in my dream, I was not thinking about how many blog subscribers I have, or that I should have learned to make more money, or even whether I had managed to teach my children to be hard workers. None of these, plus a thousand other activities that you and I have filled our minds with are going to be of any consequence at all as we are facing death eyeball to eyeball.
The only responses that will matter are the ones that answer these questions:
Have you repented of, and turned away from, your sins?
Have your sins been covered by His life-giving redeeming blood?
Have you obeyed His Word?
Have you brought Him the glory due His Name on this Earth?
Have you been a faithful testimony before others of His goodness and salvation?
Have you loved and served those He has brought into your life whole heartedly and sacrificially?
These are the thoughts that will remain…
When all is stripped away.
All the noise.
All the clutter.
All the distractions.
All the world.
And it’s just YOU.
And just HIM.
It’s about going back to the drawing board. Being given a chance to evaluate, examine and execute our lives in a way that counts. Removing all fluff, falsehood, and fruitless deeds from our path.
And with His help, living a life that counts. On earth as it does in Heaven.
Are you ready to meet your Maker?
