Songs That Speak To Me; Part 8: Well Done
What will it be like when my pain is gone
And all the worries of this world just fade away?
What will it be like when You call my name
And that moment when I see You face to face?
I’m a person who, too often, lets the cares of this life sway me. Whether it’s an upcoming daunting task, a circumstance I can’t change, or a person who just seems to have it put together better than I do, these things can weigh on me.
I wish I could explain better why that happens; I honestly can’t often put a finger on it myself. It just reminds me that this life is a fight all the way; the good things don’t come easy. With God’s grace, we need to fight for righteousness, fight for joy, fight for love, fight for truth, fight for justice; the list goes on.
I get to look forward to a place where my fight will be over. The things that seem so heavy in this life will grow strangely dim. I can think about it now, but honestly, once I’ve set foot in the presence of my Lord, I probably won’t even notice how my state of mind has changed. The presence of the Lord will be everything, and the worries of this world will be nothing.
Besides that, I can hardly imagine that Jesus would really call my name or that he would let me see him, face to face. Surely there can’t be many people more insignificant than I.
There I go again, thinking about significance in terms of this world, instead of how salvation is a gift that is manifested in the same way for each to whom it is given. As a believer, Christ has already called my name once. He’s going to call again someday, but this will be for the final time, and then it will be forever in His kingdom.
I’m waiting my whole life to hear You say
Well done, well done
My good and faithful one
Welcome to the place where you belong
Well done, well done
My beloved child
You have run the race and now you’re home
Welcome to the place where you belong
I feel like I must be asleep sometimes. How can I know that this day is coming and not live every day as fully for His glory as I can?
Truly, all I can do is wait to actually hear these words, but that does not mean that I simply wait for the end to come. That’s where the next several lines come in.
As Christians, we are called to action; if nothing else, at least to love God with all our hearts, to love one another and to tell others the Good News. But greater than that, the teachings and example of Jesus during His time on Earth leave a model for us to emulate more precisely, however feeble our attempts may be.
That’s where the imagery of the race comes in. I’ve run my share of races with many different formats and I think a mud/obstacle race best exemplifies the Christan life. The goal isn’t as much on finishing first as it is simply finishing. The race throws all kinds of arduous obstacles and rough terrain at you to try and slow you down and maybe make you give up all together. In this kind of race, you’re competing against yourself more than anyone.
That’s life as a Christian. A constant struggle with our nature to simply finish; but when you do finish, you’re home.
What will it be like when tears are washed away
And every broken thing will finally be made whole?
What will it be like when I come into Your glory
Standing in the presence of a love so beautiful?
I remember being struck by an insight that I heard a couple of days ago about how heaven is not just a whispy soul hangout where reality no longer exists. Instead, heaven will become the new reality, as real as my fingers typing on this keyboard. Right now, I am absent from the Lord and present with the body. So I’m pretty in tune with the sadness that bombards our bodies every day, in whatever form it comes. I’m sure you know what sadness feels like as well.
But one day, we will be absent from this body and given a new heavenly one. We’ll be in a place where sorrow, death, and pain will be no more. The former things will have passed away.
I know, I can’t grasp that either. But it’s true, and it’s going to be awesome.
Another thought that came to mind from this stanza was how it speaks of standing in the presence of a love so beautiful. The human race is sorely confused about what love is right now. I’m just excited that the mere presence of our Lord sets everything right again.
What will it be like when I hear that sound?
All of heaven’s angels crying out
Singing holy, holy, holy are You, Lord
I’m sure I’ve heard nothing like it. It’s just another one of those things that I take for granted: what music sounds like. It could be completely different than anything I’ve experienced. After all, it’s heaven; everything is perfect there. No voice cracks, squeaky strings, or off-tempo notes. Whatever the case, I can’t wait to join in when that day comes.
Until then, I want to keep running the race that has been set before me with a smile on my face, joy in my heart, and commitment in my soul. I know that nothing that this world can throw at me is enough to overcome the Lord, who has already overcome the world.
It’ll be hard sometimes; I’ve already seen that. But I also know that is not supposed to be easy. The reward does not come in this life. But to hear Jesus say “Well done, good and faithful one” will make every moment worth it.
