Meditations for Difficult Days [12] Transforming Sorrows into Hopes (part b)

Mindfulness vs Meditation

You may be aware that a new practice has taken off in western culture in recent years, the practice of Mindfulness. According to Wikipedia, "Mindfulness is the psychological  process of purposely bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgement."

Mindfulness has eastern religious roots, and as I understand it, is really a westernised version of eastern meditation. I notice how eager Wikepedia are to put the authenticating word "psychological" into the definition. What they mean is "Don't worry, westerners, Mindfulness isn't eastern hokey-pokey, it's scientific."

In the hurly-burly of western life, a dose of stillness is no bad thing. And paying more detailed attention to life is surely a good thing (provided it does not become a narcistic self-centred practice). Some folks paddle in the shallows of life and never, or at least rarely, venture beyond the shore.

Husbands - if I may add a word of exhortation - husbands in particular, need to learn the art of tuning in to the present needs of their wives and families. It's one reason much more space is allocated to Christian husbands in Ephesians chapter 5 than to Christian wives. "Blokes pay attention!" Paul is saying. But perhaps, to prove my point, fewer husbands than wives read blogs!? (Or perhaps I'm being too hard on we men!)

That last sentence of Wikipedia's description "without judgement" is what distinguishes Mindfulness from Meditation. To merely listen to life without comment will not get us far. It may be a start. It may be that we need to listen more first of all, but we cannot stop at listening. Because all we will hear are the noises of a fallen world. Is that really all we want to listen to? The rumblings of the curse? Echoes of the fall?

No, we must go on to make mindful judgement, assesment, reflection and analysis.

And today I want to suggest how we assess the sorrows of this life and turn them into joful hopes.

Take them one by one

We sing the song "count your blessings, name them one by one" to encouarage thankfulness. Now, I suggest, we count our sorrows one by one, and then imagine the exact counterpart of that sorrow in the world to come.

Here's our text:

"God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

(Revelation 21:4-5)

King Jesus, seated on his throne says to John, "I am making everything new." The old order, the curse, the fall, has been done away with and everything in that new paradise will be different from what it was down there.

Of course there is continuity as well as discontinuity, let's not get carried away. Jesus, for example,  was still recognisable after his resurrection. And remember, he ate with his disciples too?

But today we focus on discontinuity and difference.

Take each sorrow and imagine the exact counterpart to it: that will give us a bright idea of heaven and transform each  sorrow into a hope.

Did someone let you down - big time? So that now you find it hard to trust to people? In heaven, no one will  let you down and every relationship will be filled with eternal and  childlike trust.

Did someone hurt you - real bad? In heaven no one will harm you.

Did someone deceive you? Only truth-tellers in heaven.

Getting the jist?

Did a loved one die and leave you before their time? All relationships in heaven are forever.

A good and joyful gift you wished and prayed for, but was never given? Eternal pleasures at God's right hand (Psalm 16:11)

A thorn in your flesh - some ongoing painful, never-ending, allowed-there-by-God ailment or frustration? Without a sinful nature there will be no need for thorns.

Some sin you committed which permanently scarred your life or changed the landscape of your family? In heaven only righteouseness dwells, no sins will mar that holy place.

You have rarely felt a closeness to God that some of your Christian friends seem to have. Well, they could be exagerating, of course, but even so, in heaven God will actually dwell with us, like in the Garden of Eden but better: we will live and commune with God incarnate.

Some weakness of body or mind that does not go away? In heaven you'll have a new body and since God will wipe away every tear, your mind will be perfectly sound and sane.

Summing it all up

We have a choice. Stew in old sorrows, or take each one - and this will take time and meditation - and contemplate its  counterpart in the world to come.

Strange isn't it? How we can gain a fuller glimpse of the world to come through the sorrows of this one! By contrast and comparison.

In this way we can, with God's help, turn sorrows into hopes. 

A SONG FOR THE DAY

Based on Psalm 130, we end with a Gospel song which reminds us to wait for the Lord. Perhaps even to wait until heaven.

Out of the depths I cry to You
In darkest places I will call
Incline Your ear to me anew
And hear my cry for mercy, Lord

Were You to count my sinful ways
How could I come before Your throne
 Yet full forgiveness meets my gaze
I stand redeemed by grace alone

I will wait for You
I will wait for You
In Your word, I will rely
I will wait for You
Surely wait for You
Till my soul is satisfied

So put your hope in God alone
Take courage in His power to save
Completely and forever won
By Christ emerging from the grave

I will wait for You
I will wait for You
In Your word, I will rely
I will wait for You
Surely wait for You
Till my soul is satisfied

Now He has come to make a way
And God Himself has paid the price
That all who trust in Him today
Find healing in His sacrifice
That all who trust in Him today
Find healing in His sacrifice

I will wait for You
I will wait for You
Through the storm and through the night
I will wait for You
Surely wait for You
For Your love is my delight

I will wait for You
I will wait for You
In Your word, I will rely
I will wait for You
Surely wait for You
Till my soul is satisfied  

Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.

You can hear it sung movingly by Shane and Shane,  HERE.

 

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Dear Father in heaven,

We thank you every day for your many blessings upon us. All of them come by your grace to people who don't deserve them, but that is your way, your path of unending grace.

We thank you especially for this Lord's Day, when we can worship in spirit if not in person with our brothers and sisters.

Teach us to use the sorrows of this present world to inform us and inspire us to yearn for the world to come.

And remind us that heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace because Jesus is there, the one who gave himself to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

We ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ
 
Amen