When Heaven Comes to Earth

     Last night my father-in-law treated his children with their spouses to a supper at a well-known seafood restaurant in our town. It just happened to work out that I sat next to one of my brother-in-laws who I have had trouble with in the past. His curt manner and seemingly "criticisms couched in a joke" ways hasn't set too well with me. Whenver he would address me, it triggered my sore spots which were created by my Father when I was a child, whose ways were similar, only he didn't try to hide his criticisms, but seemed justified to deal them out. So, you get the setting.
     As the evening developed, everyone talked of light-hearted topics, only getting slightly risque a few times, and even this died suddenly as others ignored the statements made. It had a good feel to it, with no one in particular, taking center stage. My father-in-law sat to my left, and the brother-in-law to my right, so he was really close.
    True to form, he commented in a slightly negative way that I didn't want an appetizer, then when I ordered he didn't think what I ordered as my entree was suitable either. A few time during conversation, my sister-in-laws, came to my defense with a comment or two. Yah, sisters!
     As our time passed on, I began to realize that the wounds of the past which had been opened for so many years, just weren't there anymore, as my brother-in-laws comments to me, weren't taken seriously, nor did they offend me in anyway. In fact, I rather was able to enjoy his jabs at me, as they seemed like friendly fire, not meant for me to take into my soul, as I had in the past.
     So, what had changed? Had what I have been learning in the Bible Study about Grace taken hold of me? Well, this was part of it, but more truly, it was that God has done work in me to be able to forgive my Father, and not necessarily by brother-in-law, even though they go hand in hand. I was taken back to a time not too long ago, where I accepted the parents God had chosen for me as good. Even with their ways that I had previously thought were damaging to my well-being and growth. I had really accepted God's choosing for me in this way-His Sovereignty. Even if my Dad was criticizing, demanding and angry a lot of the time, and it affected me negatively as to make me be afraid and feel bad about myself, carrying false guilt while growing up and for many years after that, somehow and someway (because God is God and He knows best) He was able to use all of this in me and will continue to, for His Good. So, He knew and He knows, and I've been able to accept that. With that acceptance of God's choice of parents for me, I've then been able to forgive them for everything they ever did to me, and in everything I felt they either lacked in, or had too much of.
     When I realized that when my brother-in-laws comments didn't go to my soul like they had in the past, I saw that God had closed up those holes of entry, with my willingness to forgive, and then He showed me the above as to how that happened. It was His glorious work on the inside of me once again, and the effects of that, produced another outlet of His love being able to flow out of me.
     My brother-in-law was the recipient, as I know he felt it too, flowing his way. My prayer for him is that he would respond to the touch of God he experienced through these undiscernable, but very powerful blessed moments last night, by turning His heart to His, so that he too, can experience the transformation and love that only Christ can bring to a soul.
     It made the evening so much more meaningful than just the going out to supper thing, although that was sweet within itself. But to know that God's love was flowing from one to another and that I got to be a part of that, made it so much more real, impacting, and exciting.
    "When heaven comes to earth" is a good way to describe those little moments that occur in mundane settings, when God's love, peace, acceptance, hope, joy, and anything that is of His Kingdom, is able to transfer from one soul to another. In that, the prospect of new Life and unseen miracles occur.