It’s Better Than That
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? Was it an amazing sunset? Was it the birth of a child? Was it a waterfall cascading down from high above, framed by lush tropical foliage ending its’ descent by splashing into a crystal clear pool below?
What’s the most delightful sound you’ve ever heard? Was it the captivating giggle of a delighted baby? Was it the blended sound of birdsong, the howling of monkeys and the call of a host of other animals that create the unique music of the rain forest? Perhaps it was the sound of an orchestra playing your favorite symphony in the best concert hall in the world.
What’s your favorite memory or daydream? Is it of some paradise where you and your loved ones are enjoying happy times together? Is it a picture of you enjoying good health, breathing with ease, walking or running without pain? Is it never needing medication again? Is it living without the burden of debt? Or is it never having to worry about the safety of your children?
We live in an age where at the push of a button we can experience the creative genius of Hollywood’s most brilliant minds. We can see the most spectacular sights, hear the most intriguing sounds and visit the most amazing places, some of which only exist in the imaginations of their creators. Yet with all of this available to us, the Apostle Paul in the above passage of scripture is essentially saying to us, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet”.
Everything we receive on this earth comes with an upside and a downside. We recently experienced a couple of winter storms that blanketed the earth with a beautiful covering of white. The kids enjoyed the snow days and the winter sports enthusiasts enjoyed the skiing and snowboarding. But the down side included power outages, heart attacks while shoveling snow, delays and auto accidents on the way to work. While the farmers are glad for the slow melting snow watering the earth, that same snow brought down trees on top of homes and cars. Medical breakthroughs bring us cures for disease but virtually every medication comes with undesirable side effects.
The promise in the scripture above gives us hope that there are better days ahead. God has prepared things for us that we cannot begin to fathom even with our ability to imagine the most wonderful things. So take heart, it’s even better than that.
Be a blessing.
Mark A. Stoddart, M.Div.
Administrative Director for Spiritual Wellness
Shawnee Mission Medical Center
