Reunion

     I’ve been thinking about the word reunion, lately.  My high school reunion is happening in May.  I always look forward to catching up on people’s lives, renewing friendships, and yes, seeing how people look.  (Who are all these old people, anyway?!)

     I’ve learned over the years from keeping in touch with classmates that no one in this world has a “perfect” life.  People in my high school class represent just a few of those imperfect lives:  stints in prison, children in prison, breast cancer, death, divorces, drug addicted children, traumatic injuries.  No one gets through this life unscathed. 

     In the end, it doesn’t really matter if you were homecoming king or queen, valedictorian, class president, the quarterback, or voted most likely to succeed.  Life has a way of leveling the playing field.  Maybe you had an “identity” in high school.  Were you a cheerleader?  Brainy nerd?  Drama kid?  Athlete?  Goodie goodie?  Troublemaker?  Class clown?  The labels change over the years, but you probably had some idea where you were in the social ranking. 

     What about family reunions…have you been to one?  Sometimes weddings and funerals are types of reunions for extended families.    Two years ago I had a lovely reunion with relatives who live in another state, who I hadn’t seen in many years.  It was such a sense of fulfillment to reconnect with them and to be able to continue that relationship moving forward.  I love to see reunions on t.v., too, like in the show “Long Lost Family,” which reunites adoptees with birth mothers or parents.  The bond and the love are so strong between these so called strangers. 

     Sometimes I contemplate our final reunion, when we make it to Heaven.  We’ll finally get to see Jesus.  Who else do you want to see?  I want to see my mom again.  And I want to meet the sister I never knew.  I’m curious about past relatives in my ancestry…will I know them by name and face?  Or will everyone feel like a sibling or a cousin or family member or friend?  I want to meet the Bible heroes, Noah, and Moses, and David, and all those feisty faithful women of the Bible.  We probably won’t care about celebrities, but it might be fun to be friends with my favorite actors and actresses or singers.  Crazy thoughts, huh? 

     Reunions can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.  In our Heavenly reunion, we’ll no longer suffer these earthly trials.  We won’t be comparing ourselves to anyone any more or carrying labels.  I’m hoping and believing it will be the best of family reunions.  It will be a wedding feast, the finest there is.  We will be whole, healed, healthy, and restored.  And we will be reunited with our Heavenly Father. 

     Over the past 8 weeks, we’ve learned many lessons from 50 Days to a Blessed Life.   They all point the way to Heaven.

     “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  Matthew 5:8.