Before you were born...

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations Jeremiah 1:5

Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. Psalm 71:6 ESV

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  Ephesians 1:4 ESV

  

   So now...as you ponder these Scriptures and consider what they mean, I want you to think about what it might have been like before God breathed life into your earthy spirit, and let me tell you a story.

     Imagine this...

     You, a preciously loved and perfectly made child is placed at the beginning of a road by your Heavenly Father.  You stand there holding his hand and look down the road, but you don't  understand the things you see. This road is not familiar to you at all. It's full of loud voices, and chaos, and dirty things. It's nothing at all like the roads in Heaven. You look up at your Father, confused. "What is this Daddy?" You ask him. He kneels down beside you and places his hands on your face. "It's the road that leads to your life on earth, little one,"  and He draws you in for a hug, "and it ends back here in Eternity where you’ll be back with Me forever."   

     "No Daddy. I don't want to go!"

     It's going to be okay," He tells you, "because I have sent someone down this road ahead of you. It's how I know that you'll be back with Me one day. Now watch."

      So you sit in your Father's lap and see a man you recognize arrive on the road. "Is that Jesus?" You ask Him. 

     "Yes. That's right."

     You watch as Jesus clears a path of light along the road . "He will light your way," your Father tells you." And you Jesus gather up everything dark and ugly and carry it upon his back. You can tell that the pain of this hurts him and so you hold your breath and grab your Fathers hand. "It's going to be okay." He tells you.  And pulls you close. "I promise."

     Further down the road, you watch Jesus break bread at a table with twelve men that he loves. And a bit further you hear his cries to the your Father from a garden." 

     "Oh Daddy!" you say. 

     Then you see Jesus fall as he carries a large wooden cross on his back. "Please help him," you cry as you squeeze your Father's hand, and He has tears in His eyes when he answers you. "I can't." He says shaking his head. "Jesus had to do this. His sacrifice and death on the cross is what changed everything."

     And so you watch as Jesus' hands are nailed to the wood. "His scars!" you cry, rubbing a finger over your palm. "That's how he got them?" 

     "Yes, sweet girl. That's how he got them."

    Then tears fall from your Father's eyes as Jesus says from the cross, "It is finished," and you see Jesus take his last breath.    

     "But... Jesus," you say. "He's here."

     "Yes. His life on earth was over, so He came home. And you will too one day." 

     Your Father holds you for a long time. He knows how hard leaving them will be for you.        "Your time is almost up, sweet girl. You have to start your life on earth. Your family is waiting."  

      So you stand and sniffle. Take a few deep breaths. "Can I give Jesus a hug before I go, Daddy?"

     "Of course you can." Then your Father tells one of the Angels that he'd like to see Jesus, so you stand and look at the road until Jesus arrives. When he does, you run into his arms. "I love you, Jesus!" you say, arms wrapped around his neck. "I love you too, precious girl!"

     When he finally puts you down, you look up at him and take both of his hands in yours. Then you kiss each scar inside his palms. 

     "Go on now," your Fathers tells you. Your family is waiting, remember? Your life on earth is about to begin."

       Still holding God's hand you take an unsteady step and place your foot onto the terribly stained and rutted road before you. "I don’t like this road, Daddy,”  you tell him. “I'm scared."

     “Jesus will light the way, remember? But you must go down it.” He tells you this with love. “It is simply the way it must be. And know this too," He pauses. "You will leave your own ugly stain behind my sweet girl, because you will become a daughter of Eve and you will have a sin nature. A time will come that you will turn away from me.”          

     “No Daddy! Please?  Don’t make me go. I want to stay here with you?”

     “You cannot."   He says firmly.  "You must go. Walk in faith and trust me.  And remember this... My Glory will be everywhere. So if you look for me, you will see me. And when Jesus died, he left an earthy Helper behind. It's called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will teach you and help you remember the things you already know. Study the Bible and learn about Eternity, and then all the truth inside you will return. Do those things, and they will lead you back to me.”

     So with crocodile tears you take another small step and you watch as your Father engraves your name into the palm of His hand.  "I know every hair on your head,” he tells you, “and I see every sparrow that falls. So go on now.”

     You turn around for one last look and plead.  “What if I'm not ready?” 

     “You are ready, sweet child.  I promise you. I know everything that is coming and I'll never let you out on my sight. You’ll see me at the other end of this road.”  He points to something very far away that you can't yet see. "And it is glorious. Remember Heaven, because this is your home for Eternity. Its what you'll be living for."

     And then, as you start to walk away, God knits you together inside your mother’s womb for your time on earth, where you will form and grow.  

    And then, with Jesus at His side, your Father in Heaven picks up the Book of Life and places it on a table shining with gold and rubies and emeralds.  He opens it to your special chapter and looks at the topography of the road of your life.  He records every twist and turn, your every word, and every praise.  And in the place where He finds you on a mountaintop in communion with Him, he draws a heart, and Jesus smiles. Your every thought and word has been recorded, so with his palms open and laid upon the pages of your life, He sits, and closes his eyes as a tear rolls down his face. "I'm going to miss her so much while she is gone."

    "I know Father, but she will find her way back." Jesus places a hand on His Father's shoulder. 

     The Father nods. “I know she will, and he pats Jesus' hand. "But she gets lost for quite some time and the enemy’s strongholds against this little one are great. Her life gets very dark.”  The Father pauses and another tear falls from his eye.  

     "It is because your love is so great, Father.”  The Son says as he sits beside him. The Father kisses the top of his head. "And she finds her way back because of your sacrifice from the cross.” he tells him. "It hurt me so much to watch you go through that." 

     "I know Father," Jesus responds, "But I only do what I see you do.”  Jesus adds.  

     They stay like that for a minute, then the Father says, "Let's walk." So together they exit a doorway filled with Glorious light.

   The Father smiles.  “Now my Son, what are the Angels going to sing to me today?”