Tent. Wednesday, October 1. 2014.

One time I went camping.

Tent out in the wilderness and all.

Once.

That was enough.

The brand new tent took hours to set up

and it happened to not be very good at its job.

The tent door zipper kept getting stuck.

Us young girl scouts kept testing that zipper.

Along with a testing period came the fear that we were stuck in the tent forever

followed by the fear that our tent would never zip up again.

There was no cushion between the ground and bottom layer of the tent.

Trying to sleep with rocks giving an unwanted ‘massage’ is not enjoyable.

Neither is waking up to a small pool of water in your tent.

Yup, it rained.

In Southern California.

On the beach.

There was a good two inches of water sloshing around our tent.

Needless to say,

I don’t find camping enjoyable,

I appreciate my bed much more,

and tent- you had one job, just one,

you failed.

Miserably.

“For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in Heaven.”

2 Corinthians 5:1

Our bodies. 

Our lives.

Our earthly dwellings.

Paul compares these to a tent.

Our body is tent.

Our life is a tent.

Temporary.

Not comfortable.

Not always enjoyable.

Always something better in mind.

We think life should be enjoyable and easy.

After all,

Jesus said to follow Him 

for His burden is easy and His load is light.

Jesus also told us we must pick up our crosses and carry them,

much like He picked up the cross,

carried it to Calvary,

and died upon it for our sins.

How do these two work together?

Like justice and mercy,

can these two opposites live in harmony?

We like to think in the short term,

as in now.

Jesus doesn’t exactly adhere to our time frame.

He thinks eternally.

Sure,

we could stay in a 5 star hotel.

We could be comfortable

but what if that comfort damages our souls?

Is that night of blissful sleep worth it?

Is it better to have an easy breezy life here

only to suffer eternal damnation?

And if we stay in the tent?

Have a sleepless night.

Struggle.

Suffer.

Experience pain

and sorrow

and challenges.

What if that benefits our souls?

Is it better to have a life that isn’t so picture perfect

so that we can experience the joys of eternal life?

If your experience of your tent, your earthly dwelling,

is much like my tent experience while camping,

then praise God!

Praise God if this tent is uncomfortable.

Praise God if this life isn’t always easy.

Praise God through the struggle,

pain,

challenges,

sorrows,

hurt,

and anger.

He asked you to pick up your cross.

If you have ever struggled, you’ve picked up your cross.

Get ready for an eternal experience,

one that far surpasses any 5 star hotel.

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.”

Romans 8:18