We finally got the call!

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Over two years ago, we applied for the road-kill moose clean-up with the Department of Public Safety (it’s a program where DPS calls people on the list to clean up moose that have been hit by vehicles in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley – you get to keep any harvestable meat, but you have to clean up the accident site and dispose of the carcass). I’ve had friends who have received the call over the past couple of years, but we have been waiting and waiting….  

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While we waited, we prepared.  We got our gear ready – we had knives, saws, trash bags, ropes, a truck and trailer and winch, cold weather gear, and much more.  And we waited….  

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While we waited, we dreamed – when would DPS call? Would we be ready when they called?  Would they call at a convenient time, in good weather, or would it be cold and dark and rainy?  How big would the moose be?  How much harvestable meat would there be?  And we waited….  

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Initially while we waited, I thought about the road-kill harvest every day. But as the days stretched to months, which stretched to years, I only rarely thought of the harvest. There were just too many other things that became a priority. I checked with DPS at one point because I was afraid that they had called and missed me – they told me to be patient. They reminded me that I wouldn’t know when they would call, but I had to be ready to answer the call when they did. So, we waited…  

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And finally, 27 months after we applied, they called! A cow moose had been hit by a car early Saturday morning…. and we weren’t really ready. The gear was scattered between two houses, the trailer was stored for the winter, the batteries were low in the reciprocating saw. We managed to harvest the moose, but because we had gotten distracted by other things, we weren’t ready like we should have been. It took a lot more effort, and with a lot more stress than it should have, but we managed to harvest the moose – wonderful memories, a full freezer – just heavenly.

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Actually, it was nowhere near heavenly. It pales in comparison with Heaven. And yet, over the past 2+ years, I spent more time thinking of the road-kill harvest call that I did thinking about Heaven. In fact, I think of a lot of things more than Heaven - Christmas, graduation, marriage, kids and grandkids, a new job, a vacation, a game, or some Alaskan activity. And I spend more time thinking about and preparing for those than preparing for Heaven. Don’t get me wrong, I look forward to Heaven, but on any given day, I’m more drawn to the things of this Earth than to my heavenly reward.  And yet Paul tells us in Colossians 3:2 to “set [our] minds on things above, not on earthly things.”  

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There are so many things about Heaven that make our earthy home pale in comparison. In today’s Scripture, we know that Jesus (that’s who the Apostle John is writing about in Revelation Chapter 21) will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. He will make everything new! From Isaiah 61:1-2, this week’s theme verse, He will bind up the brokenhearted and comfort all who mourn. I can’t even imagine how glorious it will be. And yet, I’m still drawn the promises of earthy glories.  

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How about you?

Thinking of Heaven should make our time on Earth even better and draw us closer to God.  Think of having our earthly bodies transformed (Phil. 3:20-21), living where there is no sadness, pain, or death (Rev. 21:4-5), or where there is no decay or theft (Matt.6:19-20). Worship and fellowship with God will be better in Heaven. We will be with the Lord forever (I Thes. 4:17).  Our future glory will far outweigh any troubles we have experienced on earth (II Cor. 4:17).  

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We just have to be ready. Are you ready for the call?