Names written in heaven

There is one such triumph, however, which can recur time and again, one that is more important than any other. 

Tonight, old man, you did it You did it! You did it!
You said that you would do it, and indeed you did.

“Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,”Jesus says, “but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Image by WikiImages

Reflection - Triumph

By Steve Hall


https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100122.cfm
Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Luke 10:17-24


OK! Today’s quiz.

What from your life thus far are you most proud of? Now this is a personal thing. Notable accomplishments for one person are not necessarily the successes of another, so don’t expect that you will get a song dedicated to your achievement like Professor Higgins did in My Fair Lady. However, as you mentally make your list you might just decide to claim that song as your own.

Tonight, old man, you did it You did it! You did it!
You said that you would do it, and indeed you did.
I thought that you would rue it; I doubted you'd do it.
But now I must admit it, that succeed you did.

My Fair Lady 1964
Excerpt from songwriters Frederick Loewe, Alan Lerner, Dan Almagor, and Shraga Friedman
(You Did It lyrics © Chappell & Co., Inc.)

What kind of events are we talking about? There’s a slew of possibilities. For some those victories may be ordinary. Some men, for example, hike one of Colorado’s 14ers every other week. For me it would be remarkable to climb just one — and I wouldn’t even try unless I could be assured that the Governor would issue a proclamation to that effect if I did actually reach the summit. Such an event may have occurred early in your life or . . . Somewhat later. 

Maybe it was passing your driving license test on the fourth try. Maybe it was not succumbing to paralyzing stage fright at a music recital. Maybe, for you, it was excelling at a sport. It could have been getting the job you wanted or becoming known in your field. It’s possible that it was as simple as having a successful gardening year or finally hitting a particular target. Examples are just that: 

Examples, and a variety of them is offered here to help you recall your own particular triumphs, or victories, or accomplishments, the ones that you would have been pleased to have acknowledged with a musical accolade: Tonight, old man, you did it You did it! You did it! You said that you would do it, and indeed you did.

You can collect such events even in your early years, as when you finally learned to swim, or at some later date — the passing of time makes no difference in their importance to us. Moreover, the older you get, the more opportunities you have to add to your collection. Add each and every one to your memory box. We look back with pride on those life events which were significant for us. For some we may even have pictures, plaques or trophies.

There is one such triumph, however, which can recur time and again, one that is more important than any other. Jesus tells us that it deserves accolades greater than any other event in our lives. It is even greater than displacing evil from its throne. “Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,”Jesus says, “but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

By turning our attention to the guidance of the Spirit, this is something worthy of celebration every minute of every day.

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