New Earth, New Me
I recently read a monstrous tome by Randy Alcorn called Heaven. It’s not a book I would have necessarily chosen on my own; among other things, it is, as I just said, a monstrous tome: more than five hundred pages. I read it because the ladies in my book club chose it for our discussion. So, I’ve been rather absorbed in the New Earth idea for several months.
And that has made for some interesting mental fodder.
Because the New Earth will be a place where we are no longer under the curse of
the Fall. Still humans living on what is still an earth (this is Alcorn’s take
on it – many will argue otherwise) . . . but no longer affected by sin.
For instance, my fat cells. God made fat cells. I suspect
they existed under Adam and Eve’s skin in some proportion; I don’t believe
their existence is a result of the Fall. But the number of fat cells
under my own skin – that may very well be a result of my sinful idolatry to
food, using it to fill the hole in my heart that God is meant to fill. So, when
I’m on the New Earth, just how fat will I be?
And what color will my hair be? Aging and decay are a part
of the Fall, and gray hair is a part of aging, yes? So, no grays at all? Will
we ladies still want to dye our hair, just for fun? Will we still want to wear
makeup, or will our natural beauty be enough? So many women claim that their
interest in different hair styles and colors and different cosmetic techniques
is about being artistic. But are we kidding ourselves? Is it really, at its
heart, about not being satisfied with our physical appearance . . . a
discontentment that will presumably be gone with the removal of the curse?
Here’s another one: I’m an introvert. Not dramatically so;
on the Meyers-Briggs assessment, I was pretty close to the center, but I definitely
lean introvert. When I need rejuvenating, I would rather be alone than with
people. Although I’m well aware of the need for social connections in my life,
I often have to be intentional about making it happen because my natural
inclination is to go home and read a book by myself.
And now I’m wondering, is any of that introversion a part of
the Fall? Maybe not explicitly sinful – I wouldn’t go that far. But will I be
different in the New World? Will I want to be around people more? I kind of
doubt it . . .
A couple decades ago, I was at a get-together at a friend’s house
when she let out a big loud laugh. For some reason that I don’t really remember
(and don’t think I even understood at the time), another woman at the table
gently put her finger to her mouth to indicate to our host that her laugh was
too loud. The sudden shame that fell across my friend’s face was heartbreaking.
She eventually shared with us that in her Native American family, loud
boisterousness was very much frowned upon. As a child, she was constantly being
reprimanded for her naturally big and out-there personality.
This tore me up . . . and it convicted me hard. One of my
daughters is very similar – naturally big and out-there. She is a joy. But when
she was young, she could be a bit much at times, especially in certain settings
when her volume was not acceptable. Seeing the humiliation on my dear friend's face reminded me of something that I didn’t
realize was important until that moment: being loud is not a sin. I
mean, I knew that, but I was suddenly aware that I needed to make that very
clear to my daughter. This was not something she should ever be ashamed of.
It was how God made her.
But it was a quality that she needed to have under her
control, a tool to put to use when required and to strongly regulate so it doesn't become a hindrance.
Never a source of shame. I have seen so many times now when her loud voice and
big personality have been used by God in great ways.
So, I suspect I will hear her voice echoing across the New
Earth someday and revel in the sound. I suspect I will enjoy small
get-togethers there with friends but also my alone time curling up on the couch – and when large crowd encounters are required, I suspect I’ll have more
tolerance for that. I’m looking forward to seeing what my new body looks like
and feeling absolutely content with my appearance.
The New Earth is sounding very inviting these days.
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