Wednesdays Word by Tim: Vanishing Hope

Well, Jen asked me to do a devotion for our blog. So here goes.

I have been reading 'The Jesus Storybook Bible' to our kids for a while now and it is awesome.  In the old testament stories, it brings all of the stories full circle by pointing to the coming of Christ and where fallen man and is in need of a savior.  You continually see where man's every effort to make his life whole falls short.  This hits home to me in a big way.
   For whatever reason, I have this innate, overwhelming desire to do things I am continually passionate about.  From crazy hobbies, to fun experiences with my family, to projects I do at home and to the career I have.  I want to be invigorated by these things.  I know all of you have heard that as a broken people, we often get caught up in trying to find fulfillment in all of these things other than Christ.  How many times do you tell yourself that once we get to this phase of life, everything will be so much better?  The right career, the next kid, the right circle of friends, having true community, ect....  At the same time, you also may have heard that Jesus is right shape puzzle piece to fill that missing void in your heart.  That this 'hole' goes away  because you invited Jesus in there.  
But here is where I struggle.  Even as a follower of Christ, I still at times feel like I'm not at peace...at all.  Like that void somehow re-emerges itself. I still often times try and fill this hole, despite the fact that Jesus already filled it.  Why is this???  Why do I still feel empty some times.  Perhaps because we are fallen and because we still sin is why life fades and joy leaves, but whats crazy is I think it is like this by design.  I see where life's high peaks turn to valleys only to return to peaks again.  I see where passion for what we do fades and then becomes vibrant again like the coming and going of the seasons.  All of this points to something.  It foreshadows of something to come. He has allowed us to taste it, to almost touch it and to feel it.  He give us experiences in life that if they were to go on forever, we would be in a eternal state of glee. But they fade only to come again on another day.  
         I'm not sure if this is a stretch, but I feel like when that 'feeling' escapes you, it was a taste of things to come.  Times when you truly connect with your kids, when you have times that without question you know God was speaking to you or even the elation over accomplishing a great feat...all this is a taste when we finally will be united with Christ.  
      In Ecclesiastes it says that  "...God has planted eternity in the hearts of men..."  In our heart, we have these times, these gifts that God allows us to have. All of this point towards and resonates with eternity.  Its like God continually gives us appetizers only to say the main course is on its way.  
  And so, in my round the bout way, my point.  Don't ever forget those times.  Don't let the times that you know was a gift to you leave your memory.  Remember them, write them down.  Even in the old testament, God's people repeatedly made alters and monuments so they would always be reminded of what God did for them.  Those times tell you of eternity to come, of a life without fear and emptiness, of a life that someday we will share with our savior in eternity.