In That great Gettin' Up Mornin'

June 10, 2011

Most of my serious and most lucid thinking comes early in the morning after a good night’s sleep - sometimes even before I get out of bed. That is also when I do my best praying, when everything is quiet, there is no telephone ringing, no early schedules to keep, etc. This is the time I can count my blessings, meditate on the wonder of my heavenly Father, my Savior, Jesus and the sweet Holy Spirit. There are always friends, loved ones and family situations that come to my mind (especially those with special needs) and the Promises from God’s Word that I can claim for each petition.

I also have a time of confession of my sins. This is a time of agreeing with God in all the ways I have failed Him, either by thought, word or deed. I ask my Father to show me specifically how I have fallen short of His glory. His forgiveness and cleansing is always there.

It is at this early time that, as I wait to hear from Him, He speaks of His love, His words of guidance, insight, warning and/or admonition. Usually, the needs of the world come to mind also – the suffering Church; the victims of natural disasters, terrorist’s acts, government’s unwise decisions, sicknesses and etc. This kind of thinking could be a time of confusion, doubt and even depression, but “God is able to do abundantly above all I could ask or imagination” (Eph.3:20), so I can just bring all of these needs to the Father, in Jesus Name, and He will give me peace and joy, knowing that He has heard my prayer and because I have asked in faith and desiring His will, He will answer!

After my earnest praying, I open God’s Love Letter to me. Through my reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word I have new or renewed insight into how to face the day and its problems, joys and fears. Now I can start my day with anticipation knowing that "His eye is on the sparrow" and all those I have brought to Him in prayer. Now I can have a great day knowing He is with me every moment and whatever my day may hold, my Father has it all under control, and will assure me of His unconditional and everlasting love.

This is a wonderful way to start my day, but there is coming a day when I will open my eyes to everything new. I will hear the trumpet of the Lord still ringing in my new ears as I am flying upward. My mind is not on the things of this world and my eyes are filled with the One Who has raptured me up into the clouds with Him, then upward, ever upward. I will be so happy that Jesus has given me the authority to approach the Tree of Life (Rev.22:14) and then enter The City through one of those gates, which shall never be closed at night, for there is no night there (Rev.21:27). And then I will rest my feet on those golden streets, and catch a glimpse of my "place" Jesus has prepared for me. But first I want to see my Savior first of all, then to forever to be with Him. Oh, what a great gettin’ up mornin’ that will be!

There won’t be another morning of waking up in my bed, because there will be no beds since I will never be tired and have no need of sleep. There won’t be any early morning thoughts of any of the troubles of earth, since “the Father will wipe every tear from my eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be any grief or pain any more, for the all those things have passed away.” He has made everything new (Rev.21:4,5). What a great gettin’ up mornin’!

I am so glad I was given the right to one night go to bed on earth and the next morning to wake up in heaven. I received that right when, as a small child, I accepted Jesus Christ’ gift of salvation, which qualifies me as a child of God and to live with Him forever. What a great gettin’ up mornin'!

Soon after Wendell and I married, I had a dream I shall never forget. In my dream, I was still in college, walking on our campus. Without any context to the time and place, I found myself caught up into the air moving swiftly upward. I looked around and saw many others with me in this upward movement. I look down and could see people still walking and moving around the campus. My thoughts were blurred into one for an instant. Then I realized Jesus was taking the believers to be with Him, and for an instant I felt such grief for those who had been left behind, then just as quickly I was overwhelmed with the joy of going to be with Jesus. I was still very young and had so much of my life ahead of me, but the inexpressible joy of going to be with Jesus caused all my dreams and aspirations of this life to instantly pass away.

That was all of my dream and I instantly awoke to find I was still on earth, not at college but married and in bed with my husband. As unexplainable as the joy was of going to heaven in my dream, the sadness and disappointment of knowing this was just a dream was emotionally overwhelming. I began weeping and sobbing so much that it woke up Wendell and he was very disturbed at why I was crying. How could I explain or how could he, or anyone, understand without experiencing it for themselves.

One day it will not be a dream. I and all other believer's will rise to meet the Lord in the air and forever go to be with Him. If I knew and used all the superlative words in any language the greatest, magnanimous and this most wonderful and glorious gift could not be defined. This gift is the gift of eternal life with Jesus and although I have experienced the beginning here on this earth, some great gettin' up morning’ I am going to experience eternal life without the sorrows of earth and with all the joys of heaven!

When We All Get To Heaven
Eliza E. Hewitt

Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day.
Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us, soon His glory we’ll behold.
Soon the pearly gates will open, we shall tread the streets of gold.

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.
When we all see Jesus we’ll sing and shout the victory.