Today is Wednesday, October 13th, 2010; Karen's Korner #1923
Our trip away was a 'part of eight days' cruise on the Danube River, touching and seeing the sights of four European countries: Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia.
We began our flight from here on Saturday and arrived in Munich, Germany on Sunday. We rode by bus to Passau, Germany where we were to board our cruise boat, docked on the edge of the city. We arrived several hours before we could check into our rooms, so we hired a taxi, together with another couple we had just met, to the town of Passau, for a few hours of self-guided touring.
And that is where Jim lost (had it stolen?) his billfold. Our searches turned up nothing.
Not only did he lose his money (we travel with some money, not lots of it), he lost his driver's license, ATM card, and a credit card. We cancelled the credit card, knew that no one else could use our ATM card without a PIN number, and Jim has since gone to our courthouse to get a duplicate driver's license.
As we were going through some of our security checks in Munich, Germany and Chicago, I couldn't help but think, "The only identity Jim has is his passport and if that isn't enough, how will he get back into the United States?"
Fortunately, the passport was enough.
What would have happened if Jim didn't have a passport either? No one would know who he is/was. It wouldn't make any difference that we have lived in our same house for the past forty years and his family has been here for more than one hundred. It wouldn't help that Jim is an honest, upright U.S. citizen who has worked hard, paid his bills on time, and most generally 'does the right things'.
The countries of the world would not know who he is; even our country wouldn't know without proper paperwork.
Makes me think about heaven and who God is and isn't going to let in.
Matthew 7:21-23 (Jesus is teaching): "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you, depart from me, you evildoers.'"
So who does get a 'passport to heaven', if people who did good things don't?
God wants us to tell him that we don't have the power nor the credentials to get in by ourselves. He wants to say NO to our self-centered, selfish ways and accept His ways and His love as our 'ticket into heaven'. Once we do that, He issues His passport of love, forgiveness, and eternity.
Dear Father in Heaven, we accept Your plan for our lives and our future. We confess that we not only don't always do everything right, we aren't able to live the lives You have planned for each one of us. Forgive us for our shortcomings. Grant us Your goodness and mercy. We accept Your love for our lives. You tell us You want so much more for us. And that includes heaven. Thank You that we can now call You Father and You call us Your Children. In Jesus' name who validated the passport for each one of us, Amen.
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