“. . . rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:20 (NIV)
I was born one wintery morning as the sun set in the heat of May at home in a city hospital out in the country. Somehow, through the sovereignty of God’s will cooperating with the freedom of human genetics, I became the son of Smith-Gilliland and Mathews-Herrington heritage. I neither know nor can explain how all my ancestors, their individual experiences, and their relationships converged to produce me. I only know that here I am, therefore I think.
If you read the first sentence above carefully, you may think I am confused, yet I only get confused sometimes. LOL The facts are as follows (at least as they were told to me at a later time). I was born in the a.m. and the sun was coming up, not going down. It was neither wintery nor hot, but a very pleasant spring day. Since my parents lived in the city, I was born neither at home nor in the country, but in one of the two hospitals in the city. As proof, I have a silver spoon, properly inscribed with my birth data, which the hospital gave to my mother who passed it along to me. Now, you would think, since I was there when it happened, that I should know the details of this birth without having to rely on the report of others. Yet . . . God in His infinite wisdom decided that memory of that very personal event was not necessary.
While I am lucid, let me tell you about my other birth. This one was in the summer of 1962. I think it was a Wednesday, but it could have been a Sunday. No, I have not lapsed into confusion I just don’t remember what day of the week it was. In the late fifties and early sixties, most churches held summer revival services. These revivals were usually scheduled for seven days. So, my new birth was during the summer revival in my family’s home church. I don’t remember what the preacher preached (i.e., his sermon title and content), but when he gave the invitation for sinners to repent of their sin and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, something moved in me (could not explain it at the time) and I knew that I needed to do this. I ran to the altar and the prayer warriors of our church gathered around and prayed with me until I was birthed into the Kingdom of God. Now I was there when it happened and I am certain of the details of this birth event! Thank God, that He inscribed my name in His heavenly birth records. I didn’t get a silver spoon commemorating this event, but I have the assurance of the Spirit and that’s enough for me.
Dear Father, we rejoice today that our names are written down in heaven. Grant to us the determination to persevere to the end. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today that your name is recorded in heaven,