One day believers will experience an eternity without pain or grief.   ~~~   Can you see what’s up ahead? Of course not. As much as we try, we can’t. Only God holds our tomorrow and as we trust Him with it we can rest and know He’s already there! What a gift as we close out this year and step into a new one. Speaking of gifts, we are “wrapping up” this month’s focus on unwrapping all the gifts God has for us every day. Fullness of life, grace, peace, joy, wonder, hope and God with us are all amazing gifts we can walk in and know as we trust Him. You can find all of those and so much more at Lifeword.org. Now, going back to tomorrow and what we cannot see, how is that a gift? Well my first thought is this, I don’t have to plan or prepare one thing! Jesus is doing that for me! John 14:3-4 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” I know the way! Jesus IS the way. He always was and He always will be the way. Heaven came to earth when Jesus was born. Through His death and resurrection, those who believe in Him, one day will leave this earth and be with Him in Heaven. He’s preparing the place! I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to think about it. I don’t have to clean my house or pack. I simply need to live each day like it’s my last and follow Him faithfully in obedience, loving Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, encouraging others to do the same and loving anybody He sends across my path. Unwrapping the gift of what’s to come, is different than any other gift. We can’t experience it now like we can all the other gifts. We can only look to it and press on toward it like Paul talked about in Philippians 3:14. What’s to come is the prize and guess what, it’s not here in this broken and fallen world. If we are IN Christ, our citizenship is in heaven, we are NOT of this world. Because there is more to come! That truth should light a big old fire in our belly to live for Jesus and not be consumed by all the cares of this world. We live each day to redeem it in Jesus’ name as children of God, but ultimately my destination is on the other side of Jordan. Are you following me? I mean that in more than one way. I’ll use the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow me as I follow Jesus.” I’m not perfect in any way, but I’ll point you to Jesus all day long. The gift God has for us to come, is eternity with Him. Revelation 1:8 ​​“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Freedom is found when you let go. God has always been and will always be. We can’t figure it all out and that is the beauty of finally coming to a place where you stop trying. That’s faith. Trusting in something you can’t see, but you believe and know it to be true. I believe and because I do I am met with gifts every single day. My life is full and overflowing with the love of God. I am met with grace in every moment I have need. I have peace even as the storm rages around me. I have joy, unspeakable and at times unexplainable. I am in awe and wonder every single day at God’s creation around me, God’s love for me and His blessings in my life. I have hope, bright blessed hope for tomorrow, no matter what today may bring. I am never alone, because God is WITH me in every moment of my life here and to come. Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe 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.” I don’t know about you, but I start this new year full of joy, yes, but also with a heart filled with grief because my Dad is in heaven. So when I think about the gift of what is to come, i can’t help but smile. No more tears. No more death. No more mourning, crying or pain. This old order WILL pass away. What a gift to come. That’s the truth! I’m ready. Are you? God is a giver of good gifts and He has these I’ve walked through this month and so many more ready for you to unwrap this new year. I pray you will. I’m Lori Cline.