I’ll Fly Away....the Wayfarer 4/4/16

I’ll Fly Away
4/4/16

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

One of the most requested gospel songs throughout my travels, that comes from the most diverse of age groups, without regard to physical ability, or acuity of memory or cognition has been, and continues to be one first penned by albert E. Brumley, copyrighted in 1932.

It, as are most of my own favorites, is a song both of praise and prayer that recognizes the transience and temporary nature of the journey being travelled, and the finality and eternity of what awaits that is being journeyed toward.

“Some glad morning, when this life is over, I’ll fly away.

To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away.

When the shadows of this life have grown, I’ll fly away.

Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I’ll fly away.

Just a few more weary days and then, I’ll fly away.

To a land where joys shall never end, I’ll fly away.

I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away; When I die, hallelujah by and by, I’ll fly away.

This old hymn recognizes that the end of this life, is but a beginning of another, as is promised within our scriptures, a life that will be lived forever in the presence of God, for those who choose to believe both the promise and warning given by Jesus; or will be an eternal separation from all that is promised both by the song, and scriptures in exchange for belief and faith in that promise; for not having chosen to heed the warnings given within that same scripture containing the promise.

The shadows that comprise this temporal life grow daily, advance more rapidly with age, for many, as physical ability and cognitive acuity diminishes, too often with that same rapidity.

Memory flees of recent past, while memory of things long past are often crystal clear to those ravaged with the onset of age related disease, causing frustration and even anger for those affected.

In others, there are gaps that leave out great spans of a lifetime, gaps that deny all the joy experienced during those spans, while leaving much of the pain.

Most are fortunate enough to retain the majority of both the joys experienced, and the pain of lessons often learned the hard way by making decisions that created that pain.

These have gained a measure of wisdom that would willingly be imparted to their younger counterparts, would they only take the time to assimilate those lessons without having to go through the pain of making the same decisions, and experience the same pain.

The young, all too often fail to recognize the greatest university of learning that exists in these aged relatives and friends, choosing to ignore the lessons learned both through life experience, and at the knees of yet another generation that was respected and honored by those now reaching the majority of years.

This is the ongoing and continual state of man.

As some age, despair sets in, as joy is forgotten, as they themselves become the forgotten, by a generation consumed with the need to search for something new, consumed with the wants of the current moment; forgetting that they too face the inevitable ravages of time, having long forgotten the petty baubles that seemed to be so much more important than the time spent with a parent, grandparent or aging friend, placing value only on things that themselves deteriorate, diminish in importance and value, and cannot accompany them to the end of the journey they embarked on from birth.

What is saddest of all is that this despair is unnecessary, and completely avoidable, alleviated with one simple memory that cannot and will not be stolen when it is possessed by any with the acuity to seize the opportunity make that memory possible…The acceptance of Christ Jesus that guarantees the promise delivered in both the scriptures and the song so often requested by young and old alike.

Of all the decisions made in a lifetime, only one holds prominence and importance at its end.

The course of that lifetime may leave many or few memories.

Those memories will all be influenced by having experienced the joy of the promise that is certain and assured in both this old song and the scriptures, or having failed to have that singular experience that may provide that joy, and having denied themselves the assurance of that promise.

All lives are comprised of two halves of the memories contained within them.

Those halves are joys, and successes, and failures and pain.

When weighed in the balance, one single joy outweighs all pain, one success outweighs all failure, but it is only Christ Jesus who may tip the balance of that scale.

Weariness gives way to energy and expectation when that expectation is one of a beginning instead of an end.

It is the expectation, and assurance of that beginning guaranteed through the blood sacrifice of God’s own Son, and His resurrection that guarantees our own that is contained within the most important memory of the most decision ever to be made by each only by and for themselves while the opportunity to make that decision exists.

2 Corinthians 6King James Version (KJV)

6 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

² (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

³ Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

⁴ But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

⁵ In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

⁶ By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

⁷ By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

⁸ By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

⁹ As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

¹⁰ As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

¹¹ O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

¹² Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

¹³ Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

¹⁴ Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

¹⁶ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The WAY to having and retaining that memory has been given. Its Truth has been established. LIFE awaits those who simply choose the beginning that is offered, a beginning that negates any disquietude or fear of an end if that beginning is chosen.

I would echo Paul’s statement once more to any and all not yet having found that beginning:

NOW is the accepted time, NOW is the day of salvation… after all there is no guarantee of a single second beyond NOW for any who have not found that precious beginning through Christ Jesus!

As for me, some glad morning, when this life is over, whether by physical death of this earthly body, or by rapture when Jesus returns to claim those still living that are his, I’ll fly away!

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer