The View from the Country Club

So Lovely

today I was so kindly invited to share a lovely afternoon at the pool of a very beautiful country club

The location was stunning and exquisite

lovely green rolling hills
 beautifully manicured all around
 a panoramic view of the ocean

the setting was so luxurious with every finery known at one's fingertips

 between our hill and the ocean was another green hill rising

also perfectly manicured and lovely in every way

also overlooking the same breathtaking ocean view

"Wow, is that another part of this country club way over there?"

Taking a closer look,  I observed small squares of gray dotting the grass at regular intervals

It was a cemetery...


The forward view from the country club was a cemetery

It was also so beautifully decorated and cared for and also over looking the same glorious ocean

but it confronted us with the reminder of our mortality
we are finite     
we are limited   

Enveloped in this beautiful environment, the conversation turns...
 a friend who has cancer
 another who is waiting to hear back on test results that may be serious
 concerns for those we love
 what we wish we could give them


Even here with every beauty and every outer need met
our hearts long for what we cannot have
immortality
life unending
a perpetual fountain springing up without ceasing
life forevermore


Come to Me and I will give you Rest

What a gentle but kind reminder from God

Yes, enjoy all the wonderful things that this life has to offer

but also remember

that I am the originator of all things that break upon you with joy and wonder

they all came from me

and sadly, they do have a limit and an end in this existence that you know right now

But YOU, O Lord
have no end
no limits to your beauty and glory
no diminishing of your joy and wonder

You never run out
You never change
You are never depleted
You are what our hearts long for most of all

"In your presence is fullness of joy
and at your right hand
are pleasures forevermore"
Psalm 16:11

I have seen an end to all perfection
but your law is exceeding broad.  Psalm 119:96 NKJV

In that last day, the great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried, 'If any one is thirsty
let him come unto me and drink
He who believes in me shall have a fountain of living water
springing up within him leading to eternal life. John 7: 37-38

10 Jesus said, “You don’t know what God gives. And you don’t know who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.”

11 The woman said, “Sir, where will you get that living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with. 12 Are you greater than Jacob, our father? Jacob is the one who gave us this well. He drank from it himself. Also, his sons and flocks drank from this well.”

13 Jesus answered, “Every person who drinks this water will be thirsty again.14 But whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give will become a spring of water flowing inside him. It will give him eternal life.”  John 4:10-14 NIV

You want to bring us into the depths of YOU
into a fountain of love, peace joy
that is constantly renewed
springing up

a treasure that cannot be stolen away, fade out or break
a fountain that is mine no matter what my circumstances

17 Fig trees may not grow figs.
    There may be no grapes on the vines.
There may be no olives growing on the trees.
    There may be no food growing in the fields.
There may be no sheep in the pens.
    There may be no cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad in the Lord.
    I will rejoice in God my Savior.
19 The Lord God gives me my strength.
    He makes me like a deer, which does not stumble.
He leads me safely on the steep mountains.
Habbakuk 3:17-19 ICB

12 I know how to live when I am poor. And I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens. I have learned to be happy when I have enough to eat and when I do not have enough to eat. I have learned to be happy when I have all that I need and when I do not have the things I need. 13 I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength.  Phillipians 4:12-13 ICB

4 Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy.

5 Let all men see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks. 7 And God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it. Phillipians 4: 4-7

8 Brothers, continue to think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me. Do what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.  Phillippians 4:8-9

Yes, the view from the country club is beautiful and yet it has a limit

We can make things beautiful and wonderful
But we cannot make it LAST

Only YOU are endless and eternal and I worship you

14 So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong in spirit. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love. I pray that you can understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God. 

 Ephesians 3:14--19 ICB


From the best bliss that earth imparts

we turn unfilled to thee again

from "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts"  

1	Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts, Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men, From the best bliss that earth imparts, We turn unfilled to Thee again.
2	Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood; Thou savest those that on Thee call; To them that seek Thee, Thou art good, To them that find Thee, all in all!
3	We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread, And long to feast upon Thee still; We drink of Thee, the Fountain-head, And thirst our souls from Thee to fill!
4	Our restless spirits yearn for Thee, Where’er our changeful lot is cast; Glad when Thy gracious smile we see, Blest, when our faith can hold Thee fast.
5	O Lord, be Thou our strength and stay! Make all our moments calm and bright, Chase all dark thoughts of sin away, Shed o’er us here Thy holy light.

music at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/205