The Beautiful Letdown

I knew this day would come. It was just a matter of time before reality set in and things returned to "normal" around here - whatever normal is, or was. My energy level is low. My body is tired. But I am feeling incredibly alive today! I must have just spent four days at Lifest!!

There is a definite letdown upon returning home from such an amazing, uplifting event. There is a large part of me that never wants the time we spent there to end. A LARGE part.

I have said before that Lifest is a taste of what heaven will be like. I think that still rings true. But it's not EXACTLY like heaven. There are still plenty of non-believers there. I witnessed one young man honking his horn at a disabled woman as she tried to cross the street. There's still plenty of "the world" at Lifest, but for the most part it is still an amazing place and an amazing event.

Going into Lifest week I was unsure about returning but now, after some of the conversations we had back at our campsite, as Molly put it Saturday afternoon, "We're going to keep coming back year after year after year until we are dead."

For those who don't believe it is hard to describe so I won't even try. For those who do believe, I don't have to explain at all. You already know what fellowship means. Lifest is THAT for four consecutive days.

Still, I am back in the world now. So are all my brothers and sisters. We are "in the world but not of the world." But today . . . today we are recharged in our faith, lifted up by God's Holy Spirit, and made new once again.

My friend and I sat, praying for 45 minutes Saturday night. There are so many people in need of prayer . . . including ourselves. So many people need God. We lift them up to Him in prayer because that is what we have been called to do. And it is a joy to do so.

When Lifest ended, yes, there was a letdown. But it was a beautiful letdown in that, we KNOW this world is no longer our home. Our home is in heaven - a future home with no pain, no suffering, only love. praise and worship. Jesus is our high priest. We are no longer under The Law. We are under God's grace. May we be grace-filled as while we are in this world so others may see us and praise our Father in heaven. He will NEVER let us down.

^"10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. ¹² So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. ¹³ So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. ¹⁴ For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

¹⁵ Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. ¹⁶ And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." - Hebrews 13:10-16

Beautiful Letdown - Switchfoot