New Life!

From the time we saw a chipped place in the egg, we were excited! We'd waited the required 21 days for the chicks to start hatching in an incubator bought for this purpose. Then when the chick was obviously coming out, we squealed with delight! Our joy knew no bounds when the wobbly, still wet, little creature actually stood awkwardly on its own two feet!

You'd have thought we were new parents!  All laughing, talking and exclaiming on "our" accomplishment.  But the miracle of life was worth celebrating! How could an egg yolk develop blood cells and veins, a heart beat, and much more that would turn into a chicken?

Our glee reminded me of the Bible verse that says the angels in heaven rejoice when a sinner repents and is born into the kingdom (Luke 15:10). He has new life!  How we all cherish the new life when a baby is born into the household! It seems everyone is in a daze of joy and celebration for days to come.

Lately it seems many have finished their earthly life and have gone to heaven.  The Bible tells us we will  know as we are known up there.  What joy it will be to see people young and healthy again! Here on earth we often lose track of friends and people we used to know. But it's a small world and getting smaller all the time!

We were surprised during a recent revival that we knew the pastor the evangelist referred to in his sermon. In fact, our son married his daughter! At first, I thought we  had made a mistake, but he exclaimed, "Mark and Rhonda? Of course I know them. I've held two revivals for them!" He had known them from Alabama before they married!

Once our son, Trevor, was conducting a seminar in Atlanta, when a participant asked if Howard and Thelma were his parents!  He had never met her, nor she him! It's a small world!  In visiting our son  Mark's church in Austin, we were startled when a man said he knew our son, Jamie, who lives in Houston!

At the Herb Festival recently, a smiling woman remarked to Howard, "I know you! You're the one who looks like my dad!" Sure enough, at an estate sale a  few months ago we were approached by a stranger who wanted to take Howard's picture! "My mom noticed the resemblance," she had explained, "and wanted to get a picture.  You look just like him! Your mustache, and even your hat is like the one he wore!"

I can only imagine the reunions to come in Heaven, where there may even be cuddly rabbits and downy chicks, all bursting with new life! After all, the Life-giver will be there!