This
picture looks like a wedding picture. What a beautiful bride she was!
I don’t know when this was taken, but based on the quality of the
photo, I would say long ago.
This
past Lord’s day, Larry Shatzer and I had a discussion about heaven.
During it, we both wondered how we would recognize one another in
heaven. Both Larry and I have only known one another during our
“Golden Years” so, what if we appear in the heavenly realm like
the most attractive adults we ever were, or, for that matter as
children? To date, I have no answer. If you do – Please let me
know.
One
thing is for certain, those of us who have attained to our old age
have changed; both externally and internally. We look far different
than we did as a child (or young adult) and our bodies just don’t
work as good as they used to. Not all is negative, however, with age
comes experience and a bit of wisdom. More importantly, a great many
of us grow closer to God as we realize that there won’t be many
more decades before we meet HIM face to face. With these things in
mind, I recalled the last chapter of king Solomon’s book,
Ecclesiastes. It says…
Ecclesiastes
12 ( World English
Bible )
1 Remember
also your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come, and the years draw near,
when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,
and the strong men shall bow themselves,
and the grinders cease because they are few,
and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
4 and the doors shall be shut in the street;
when the sound of the grinding is low,
and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird,
and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5 yes, they shall be afraid of heights,
and terrors will be on the way;
and the almond tree shall blossom,
and the grasshopper shall be a burden,
and desire shall fail;
because man goes to his everlasting home,
and the mourners go about the streets:
6 before the silver cord is severed,
or the golden bowl is broken,
or the pitcher is broken at the spring,
or the wheel broken at the cistern,
7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher.
“All is vanity!”
before the evil days come, and the years draw near,
when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,
and the strong men shall bow themselves,
and the grinders cease because they are few,
and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
4 and the doors shall be shut in the street;
when the sound of the grinding is low,
and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird,
and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5 yes, they shall be afraid of heights,
and terrors will be on the way;
and the almond tree shall blossom,
and the grasshopper shall be a burden,
and desire shall fail;
because man goes to his everlasting home,
and the mourners go about the streets:
6 before the silver cord is severed,
or the golden bowl is broken,
or the pitcher is broken at the spring,
or the wheel broken at the cistern,
7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher.
“All is vanity!”
No
matter what our age, we will be blessed if we remember God and try to
follow HIM to the best of our ability. Although we will change over
the years, God never does. And some day, when we actually see God,
neither will we. I have a feeling (with nothing to back it up,
though) that God will pick the age and our appearance, so that
everyone will be able to recognize us.
Our
appearance will probably not even be an issue, so perhaps all of this
is just like it says in the last verse above:
“Vanity
of vanities,” says the Preacher.
“All is vanity!”
“All is vanity!”
PS.
The woman in the picture is Irene
Noblett Ryan.
Most
of us knew her only in her senior years –
AS
“GRANNY”
from
the sitcom,
The
Beverly Hillbillies.
For
more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Ryan