Hubby and I went to our son and daughter-in-law’s home for dinner and pie. No snow remained in the area where they live. The next day hubby and I drove over to the area near the Puget Sound, where we used to live. No snow remained over there.
But … when we came back to our little corner of the world … the snow remained, in impressive quantities.
Small piles of snow still lined either side of our street, from where a kind neighbor plowed the road. We pulled into our driveway, and snow still entirely covered our front driveway. Snow was still falling with frightening “THUD’s!” in big clumps from off the metal roof.
This morning I woke up to a steady winter rain. “That will melt the snow for sure,” I thought.
I looked out my back window … and … the snow remains.
So much snow has fallen off in big clumps from our metal roof that a rather impressive snow “berm” now exists along the back edge of our house.
There is basically no snow anywhere in the greater Puget Sound area. Yet, the snow “berm” on my back deck will probably be remaining for a while.
Only snow which has been piled up and accumulated tends to remain: snowmen, snow which has been plowed from roadways, snow which has been shoveled from driveways, snow which has fallen in heaps from metal roofs. (Ha!)
When it comes to life itself … what remains??
I’ve found myself pondering this question recently.
The reason why hubby and I drove over to the area next to the Puget Sound (where we used to live), is because we were meeting with a salesman at a car dealership to talk about purchasing a new vehicle.
Both of our current cars are more than 20 years old. A lot of life has happened in our current cars. Our kids were around 5 yrs. and 6 yrs. when we purchased our current cars. Our kids grew up in these cars. Both of our kids learned to drive in these cars.
Our current cars took us all the way from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast when we moved across the country. Our current cars have moved both our kids many multiple times, as they’ve launched out into life on their own with their own apartments and homes.
For me personally, I’ve had a very hard time thinking about getting rid of our current cars. A lot of life has happened in our current cars. However, the transmission is beginning to go out in one car. And the suspension and shocks are gone in the other car. It’s time. It’s time to start thinking about getting a new vehicle.
After chatting with the salesman yesterday and making a final decision concerning our next vehicle, hubby and I got back into our trusty transmission-failing car to head back home. I was tempted to cry at the thought of parting with it. But then I thought: “Nothing will last. This car isn’t going to last. I’m not going to last.”
What will remain??
Our 20+ year-old cars accomplished what God gave them to us for. The cars were simply tools to help us accomplish the task of raising our family … for the glory of God. The cars were simply tools to help us love others well … for the glory of God.
Did the tools serve their purpose? Yes! Yes they did.
They were given to us by God, and they served their purpose well.
Nothing will last. Our beloved 20+ year-old cars won’t last. We need to let them go. However … the love will always remain. The love we shared together in those cars as we raised our kids … the love will remain in our hearts and in our memories!
The love that was shared as hubby drove our daughter to middle school each morning and they sang to their favorite music cranked up at full volume. The love and the memories will remain! The love that was shared as we loaded the kids’ belongings into the cars and we moved them once again … and again … and again! The love and the memories will remain.
The love we shared with others as we used our cars to pick up others from the airport … carry carloads of kids to various destinations … haul belongings from one city to another, etc. … . The love will forever remain in our hearts and in our memories.
Love remains.
Nothing lasts. Belongings won’t last.
We ourselves won’t last.
Only love will remain.
Nothing much remains of the ancient city of Corinth. The houses are gone. The shops are gone. The beautifully colonnaded stoas are gone. The amphitheater is gone. The temples are gone.
Nothing much remains of the once great city! Nothing remains of the wealth. Nothing remains of the influence. Nothing remains of the power.
Except …
Love remains! The names of people who loved Jesus Christ remain!
Aquila and Priscilla – they loved Jesus Christ! They were good loving friends to the Apostle Paul. They are forever recorded in the pages of Scripture because of their love for Jesus. Love remains!
Titius Justus – he lived next door to the synagogue of Corinth (Acts 18:7). He opened his home as a place for Paul to share the good news of Jesus Christ when Paul was no longer able to teach in the synagogue. The first church in Corinth met in his home! Titius Justus loved Jesus … and his love for Jesus is forever recorded in the pages of Scripture. Love remains!
Crispus – he was the synagogue ruler in Corinth. Because of his love for Jesus Christ, his entire household believed in the Lord. His love for Jesus is forever recorded in the pages of Scripture. Love remains!
Sosthenes – he was the synagogue ruler in Corinth (probably after Crispus). Sosthenes took a beating because of his love for Jesus Christ. His love for Jesus is forever recorded in the pages of Scripture. Because Love remains!
Apollos – he went to Corinth to teach and strengthen the church after Paul left. “He was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from Scripture that Jesus was the Christ.” (Acts 18:27-28) Apollos loved Jesus Christ! His love for Jesus is forever recorded in the pages of Scripture. Love remains!
Gaius – he is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:14 as being a believer in Corinth who was baptized by Paul. Gaius is forever recorded in the pages of Scripture … because Love remains!
Chloe’s household – these believers in Corinth loved Jesus so much that when things began to go downhill in the church at Corinth, they traveled to Ephesus to inform Paul, so that Paul (as the church’s founding pastor) could help correct and set things straight. Chloe’s household loved Jesus! And their love is forever recorded in the pages of Scripture. Because Love remains!
Household of Stephanas – these believers were the very first converts to believe in Jesus Christ in the whole province of Achaia (1 Corinthians 16:15). They have a special “shout out” in Scripture because they devoted themselves to the service of the saints. They loved the church … so much so that they gave their lives to serving and helping those in the church. Evidently, they were church leaders of the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:16-17). Love remains!
Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus – these three leaders of the church at Corinth traveled to Ephesus to deliver to Paul a gift of money from the believers in the church at Corinth. These three have a special “shout out” in Scripture because they “refreshed Paul’s spirit.” This is love in action. This is what love does. Love remains!
Not much else from Corinth remains.
But love … love remains!
Love will always remain!
The snow which recently fell in the Puget Sound area did not remain. However, the snow “berm” which piled up behind my house … that does remain. Love is like that. Love piles up. Love accumulates. Love lasts.
Hubby and I will be going this next weekend to pick up our new vehicle. Our other cars will not remain. As fond as we are of them, they will not last forever. Only love will remain. The love that was shared through the use of the cars over the past 20+ years … that love will remain!
And the love which will be shared through the use of the new vehicle … that love will remain.
Only love remains.
