You + Who is 4 Ever?

This past summer as my son and I were returning from a two week trip overseas, I came down with either the flu or the worst cold since I was a child. At its peak, my fever hit 102.6 which was unfortunate because it was in the middle of a family vacation. Instead of flying back to Dallas, we landed in Columbus, Ohio. It was my in-laws’ 50th wedding anniversary celebration and the whole extended family was getting together at a state park for a weekend of tubing, campfires, and general outdoorsy-ness.

Now, full disclosure, I’m what Jim Gaffigan calls, “indoorsy.” I like nature but I prefer it without bugs which means fall and/or winter which wasn’t going to happen in August in central Ohio. Still, though, it should have been a fun time.

Because I felt horrible and didn’t want to be the cause of “Swine Summer 2019", this picture is really the only view I had for three solid days. I remained self-confined to the lower level of a bunk bed alternating between sweating and freezing and grateful for serviceable wifi. As you can see, I also devoted a small amount of time to exploring what people had carved on the bunkbed ceiling.

I obviously don’t know who Ethan and Alyssa are and I have no idea what Brandy’s relationship is to Bambi. I can’t tell if they are the same person (Brandy aka Bambi), is it Brandy alla Bambi (whatever that might mean) or perhaps the second, “a,” is a, “d,” and so it’s Brandy and Bambi. I don’t know and I think I’ll be ok not knowing.

What struck me was that Ethan and Alyssa were together in 2009 and it’s now 10 years later. Are Ethan and Alyssa still together? I doubt it. It’s possible but I think it’s safe to say it’s highly unlikely. The age at which someone is inclined to etch their love in someone else’s property is less than adulthood and the percentage of relationships that survive adolescence is low. So the future probably didn’t survive the sentiment regardless of the claim that it would be, “4 ever.”

What does?

I’m not suggesting that we look for places to carve, “Jesus + insert name here,” although I think it would be terribly interesting if someone did. Regardless, it’s the one claim on which we can count. I don’t have a corner on this but it really will be, “Jesus + Brad 4 ever.” Why? Because while it takes two to tango for human beings, my relationship with the Lord isn’t dependent upon me. It’s dependent on Him.

It’s like the example I gave to a new Christian (yay!) just the other night. When you were a toddler walking across a busy parking lot chances are you were holding your mom or dad’s hand but while that’s true it’s not quite accurate. The reality is, mom or dad was holding onto you far more than you were holding onto them. Depending on how busy was busy, they weren’t holding your hand so much as they were vise gripping your wrist.

That’s how it is with Jesus. John 11:25-26, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die,” (NASB). “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” That’s eternal life. “Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” That’s eternal security. In those two statements Jesus promises that in Him reside both eternal life and eternal security. Once your with Him, it’s 4 ever.

I know people want to know about sin. What about the person who said they were a Christian but now they’ve gone to work for Satan, LLC. I can’t tell you what’s inside their heart but what I know is what Scripture says and it says that everyone who lives and believes in Jesus will never die. That mean’s they’ll never taste hell.

Please know that wherever you find yourself today, you can have a relationship with God that will never end and if you have that relationship, it will never end not because of sentiment or because you’re sure that you’re sure that you’ll try really hard to keep it that way. It’s because of Him. He has a hold of you regardless of whether or not you’re holding onto Him. You and Jesus are 4 ever and that’s that.