Earlier tonight my dear sister in Christ, Susan Thomasson, left her earthly body behind. Mrs. Susan was a sweet and kind woman who loved her husband, children, and grandchildren dearly. Most importantly though, she loved her Lord and Savior dearly. Because she loved God, keeping His commands (1 John 2:3-6), I know that I will see her again one day. Mrs. Susan had cancer and knew that the end was nearing. When I found out that she would soon be moving into eternity I could only think of this song. So, I wrote her a message and included these words.
And perhaps we'll never meet anymore
'Til we gather in heaven's bright city
Far away on that beautiful shore
If we never meet again this side of heaven
As we struggle through this world and its strife
There's another meeting place somewhere in heaven
By the side of the river of life
Where the charming roses bloom forever
And where separations come no more
If we never meet again this side of heaven
I will meet you on that beautiful shore
Oh, they say we shall meet by the river
Where no storm clouds ever darken the sky
And they say we'll be happy in heaven
In the wonderful sweet by and by
If we never meet again this side of heaven
As we struggle through this world and its strife
There's another meeting place somewhere in heaven
By the side of the river of life
Where the charming roses bloom forever
And where separations come no more
If we never meet again this side of heaven
Oh, they say we shall meet by the river
Where no storm clouds ever darken the sky
And they say we'll be happy in heaven
In the wonderful sweet by and by
If we never meet again this side of heaven
As we struggle through this world and its strife
There's another meeting place somewhere in heaven
By the side of the river of life
Where the charming roses bloom forever
And where separations come no more
If we never meet again this side of heaven
I will meet you on that beautiful shore
Mrs. Susan and Mr. Reggie at a Valentine's banquet in 2010
I once heard a lady say, as she was addressing a group of other Christian women for the last time, "If I don't see you again here on Earth, I'll see you in heaven." How wonderful to be able to say that to someone with confidence. Knowing that you both are living your lives in such a way that God would be pleased (1 John5:13). Earlier I noted 1 John 2:3-6. In case you didn't look it up it says,
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected, By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
What are God's commandments to us concerning salvation?
1. We must hear the Word of God--Romans 10:10
2. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God--Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24
3. We must repent of our sins--Acts 17:30
4. We must confess Christ before men--Rom. 10:10; Matthew 10:32-33
5. We must be baptized for the remission of our sins--Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21
6. We must remain faithful--Revelation 2:10
If you haven't done these things I would encourage you to study your Bible, see what it says yourself, and do those things. You don't have to be a preacher or have a special degree to be able to understand the Bible. It was written for YOU. It's not mystical magic, it's practical application. If you have any biblical questions feel free to ask! If I don't know the answer I'll study to find it. I also have a Bible correspondence course I'd be happy to send anyone interested. I would love to be able to think of you as well the next time I sing this song.
Mrs. Susan, I'll meet you on that beautiful shore!
