Professional Greeter

If you have read the NY Times Bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven, written by Don Piper, you will probably remember him talking about people "greeting" him in heaven. Some of these people were family and people he would expect to be there and then he talks about people who had been impactful in his life and in his faith walk. A few months ago when I read this book this particular part of the book really made me think about our lives in heaven and our "jobs" so to speak.

I stopped mid-chapter and walked into the kitchen and like a six-year-old proclaims their desire to be a vet, police man, doctor, or in my sons case the garbage man, I announced to my husband, proudly, that I wanted to be a professional greeter in Heaven!

Say what!? Oh, my sweet husband...in our house it is kind of like Dezi Arnez and Lucille Ball..."Lucy, you got some splainin to do!" He has put up with countless schemes and tolerated, with the most love, my somewhat silly quirks.

I went on to explain about Mr. Piper's book, which he was also reading at the same time.

In heaven, we will all certainly be praising God and working hard for the kingdom of heaven, I said. Maybe a little divine gardening and buffing the streets of gold, but as my mind wandered a little bit farther I told him that I started to wonder about those people that would come to the gate for me.

Who would welcome me? I'm sure my grandparents, my sweet infant son and others who have passed on before me and who have been impactful in my life would be there.

Without a doubt, I think they will greet me and walk me to my Lord and Savior.

But for me the question was...who will I greet? I guess everyone considers family members as a given, but I think what God was trying to show me through this book was that we should all strive to be professional greeters. If I were to leave this world today, who would I greet? If I live another 60 years will that number change at all? If I only had a few days or a few years how would that number change? Going through a life-threatening illness as a young adult really drives home the notion of live for each day.

The number of my days has already been decided, but what I do with them has not. I want to be so impactful here on earth that I don't have anytime to do any other job in heaven. I want to be so busy going back and forth to that gate welcoming people that there simply isn't time for anything else until his kingdom is complete.

So how do I do this? I have to tell you as much as I love people I am an unlikely choice for a greeter. I get nervous around others, I have a few close trusted friends and I absolutely did not get the gift of hospitality as much as it is a desire of my heart.

But...maybe I could help plant a seed in someone's faith walk or led by an example to someone who was watching closely looking for God, maybe a random act of kindness or a specific act done with intention, but certainly not by allowing myself to focus only on what I don't have to give. God gave me a heart that desires to please and as I struggle with this people pleasing personality and knowing how devastating it can be in my own life, God has allowed me to start looking at it from a different angle.

Instead of being a people pleaser I need to turn that energy into pleasing the only one that matters...him. If I do that I will be effective for him and pleasing to him, as well as to others, but in a healthy and productive way.

Surely once I am in heaven all my insecurities will have been washed away and I will be able to stand at that gate and shake hands, make chit-chat and hug without feeling that queasy nervousness that I get now, but if I don't let God help me focus my attention on others and be a willing servant despite my busy, hectic life, my dreams of professional greeter in heaven are a wash.

This moment, this decision, is a big part of what began this blog. Unless we are willing to begin each day with God and allow ourselves to invest in the lives of others then we are missing the chances he gives us to bless and be blessed. If we desire to be impactful for his kingdom than we have to be willing to give away some time, some comfort zone, some luxuries in order to put ourselves in the places where he can use us.
Maybe it is just down the street or off in another land, but if we don't decide, with intention, to be his hands and feet than there will be a whole lot less greeting going on in heaven and a lot less people being greeted.

I have a long way to go, but God please guide me. Keep my heart open and willing and accepting of those people who, for whatever reason, have come into my path this day and need something that you have equipped me with. Even in my difficult moments and my own personal challenges give me the strength and character to see others. I only have a certain number of days here. Help me make the most of each one for you.

Sweet Blessings,
Laurie