Values of heaven and earth don’t always agree;
The world counts fall as loss. On heaven’s scales,
Falls yield gains when duly explored and exploited.
Taking a due fall, we learn, we change, we grow,
And the taste of maturity reflects in our fruits.
Sometimes, wisdom is our reward, some others
Deliverance from pending disaster, or harvest of skills
To escape giant traps ahead where stakes are too high
And too tight to accommodate errors. When we take
A fall for others, certainly God rewards – not only
The liberation of another soul, which is inestimable.
Every time we have to lose for the gain of another
God makes it up in ways that words can’t tell:
Reserved for every fall, is a sure reward
Receiving it lies with how we answer our call.

Food For Thought: The vocabulary of heaven varies with that of planet earth. The things we consider as success are often very far from what counts with God. Following the standards of the world, it is easy to get distracted and to derail. Following God is not an instant decision, it is a lifestyle, reinforced day by day, and minute by minute as we consider and respond to the numerous things that come at us. For everyone who has made that decision to follow God, there is hope and there is reward. Things don’t go as we assume and God doesn’t provide explanations to every experience, yet the assurance of His presence is something we can always count on despite the maneuvers of our minds to deny it. The assurance of His peace is another thing we must aspire to retain because it preserves us from losing it in a world that is at loss. Let the world run by its definitions, and let those who have made that choice to follow the Lord seek, for every opportunity that He provides, to discover, to live, to spread and stamp God’s values on earth as it is in heaven.

Scripture: But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Hebrews 13: 16.

Prayer: Dear Lord, may I esteem the gains of the Kingdom above my personal profits, and may I surrender whatever You ask of me that may aid another, amen.