Tell Me The Story One More Time

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By TimChallies(condensedand adapted by Julie Nichols)
ReadingMichael Wittmer’s excellent new book The Last Enemy, I came across a powerfullittle story that I wanted to share with you. I trust you will enjoy it as Idid.
My friendJeff stopped by the hospital to visit one of his dearest senior saints. Charlotte was in hereighties, but she had been young enough in heart to blossom under Jeff’sministry.  Charlotte said learning God’s story hadchanged her life. “I get it now,” she told anyone who would listen. “The partsof the Bible make sense when you read them in light of the whole.  For the first time in my life, I understandhow my salvation fits into the larger picture.”
Now Charlotte was dying. Shechatted with her pastor about family, church, and the general quality ofhospital food, and then Jeff said a prayer and promised to come see her again.
Jeff wasminutes from home when his cell phone rang. It was the floor nurse calling fromthe hospital.  “Charlotte told me tocontact you,” she began. “She said that it’s time for her to die. She told meto tell you not to hurry; she’ll wait until you get here.”
Jeff turnedhis car around and drove slightly faster than Charlotte had recommended. When he enteredher room, panting from his swift jog from the parking garage, Charlotte called him over to her bed. Shetook his hand, looked into his eyes, and said, “Pastor, tell me the story onemore time.”
For the nexttwenty minutes, with a heavy but grateful heart, Jeff reviewed the story thathad saved their lives. He told Charlotteabout their gracious, triune God who created our world from love and for Hisglory. He put us here as His “image bearers” to take care of this world on Hisbehalf (see Genesis 1:26-28).
Jeff thendescribed the destruction of the fall and how our rebellion against the one,true, and living God had shattered everything we were meant to be. We were“without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).
Jeff andCharlotte remembered how God refused to let the world end this way, and He sentHis Son to rescue us from sin and death. Our loving Lord was crucified, dead,and buried, but three days later He shocked the world by rising from the dead.
Jesusascended to heaven where He rules the world and intercedes for us before ourmerciful Father. He will soon return to make all things new. He will restoreour humanity, repairing our relationships with God, each other, and creation.And He will bring joy to the world, far as the curse is found, by abolishingsin, disease, and death. No more tearful goodbyes! Because Jesus lives, we tooshall live—with Him, here, glorifying God and enjoying Him forever!
Jeff’s voicecracked and Charlotte’seyes filled with tears. “It’s true,” she whispered. “I know it’s true.” Sheturned to Jeff and patted his arm, “It’s time. It’s going to be okay.”
As Jeffprayed beside her, Charlotteraised her eyes toward heaven, and with a serenity that comes from knowing howthe story ends, she repeated the words “thank you, thank you, thank you.” Bythe third “thank you” she had fallen asleep, and on the fourth she was wakingup in heaven.
Taken fromThe Last Enemy: Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life, 2012 by Michael E.Wittmer. Used by permission of Discovery House Publishers, Box 3566, Grand Rapids MI 49501.All rights reserved.