I’m not sure why but it seems like the hour or two after lunch tends to be the worst time of day for me when it
comes to my emotions. It is like my heart
explodes as it is flooded with all kinds of vibrantly poignant memories of my
wife. But on this day, it was like God
had another plan. Who says that our Father God is not spontaneous?
After I sat down on the couch, I reached for the remote
control and at the same time glanced up to the TV screen across the room. With our home entertainment system all the electronic
devices feed into the Pioneer receiver/controller and then up to the TV which serves
as the visual display for everything. As
I unconsciously went to redirect from the Sirius XM Southern Gospel enLighten channel
65 that was on, I suddenly froze as I noticed that the current selection being
played was “It’s Shoutin’ Time in Heaven” by the well-known Southern
Gospel family group The Hopper’s*
I plopped back down on my seat and turned to Fiver who was totally
focused on the doggie dental chew that he knew he would be getting for lunch,
and exclaimed, “Let’s listen to this
song, I like it!” The selection was
recorded during a live performance and always tends to send shivers down my
spine as the excitement and truth of the song come to an astounding crescendo.
Toward the end of the number as they began to repeat the
emphasis of the song that “It’s Shoutin’ Time in Heaven!,” my
quiet solitude of sitting on the couch was taken over with a very visual picture
of my Piper being in heaven, singing, shouting, playing the piano and dancing (You know… she was pretty talented, but I’d
never seen her dance while playing the piano before… but who knows what one can do in
heaven!).
With tears beginning to freely flow, I arose to my feet,
lifted my hands unto the Lord and couldn’t help but be carried away with the
excitement of the truth of that simple but moving song:
“Its shouting time in
heaven
A sinner once lost is
found
Its shouting time in
heaven
Salvation has been
brought down,
No wonder the angels
rejoice to know
My sins have been
covered by the crimson flow
And now I'm feeling
fine
I'm walking on the
highway with my Lord
My name is written down
in courts above
Its shouting time in
heaven,
Oh yes, its shouting
time.
No wonder the angels
rejoice to know
My sins have been
covered by the crimson flow
And now I'm feeling
fine
I'm walking on the
highway with my Lord
My name is written down
in courts above
Its shouting time in
heaven,
Oh yes, its shouting
time,
Its shouting time in
heaven,
Oh yes, its shouting
time!”**
I glanced over to her piano to my left and focused in on
the framed print of her playing that piano at home one day and let my mind
drift off thinking about how she seemed to step up into the anointing during
services when participating in songs like this one. She would simply glow and her little hands seemed
to float above the keys while they flew from one side of the keyboard to the other. Then she would take the index finger on her
right hand and run it down the keys as the tune came to its final conclusion!
I betcha that she is doing a lot of that now! And like I’ve said repeatedly, as far as I am
concerned, she deserves every minute of it!
But what about me… Well, when
the song finally came to its last conclusion, I simply fell down on my knees
and thanked the Lord for a glimpse into heaven!
It’s kind of funny you know? I didn’t
have a rough time after lunch that day!
Even though it wasn’t anything about me, I received a strong shot
of hope and expectation for my future through the experience with that
song. I not only pictured my sweet wife
enjoying her just reward, but I received an uncanny peace about His plans for
me… today, tomorrow and onward!
One can’t be sad with a spontaneous event like that… as far as I am concerned… I can only
rejoice and be glad. Who knows, maybe I’ll
get to the place faster than I thought possible… where in the midst of
everything going on, I will be able once again to arise with that “…shout of joy (that) comes in the morning” flowing
from my lips! (Psalm 30:5 NASB)
Have a great weekend, and as you do, I would encourage you
to be on the alert for the spontaneity of God in your life! In fact, say with me right now, “I am
expecting God to act spontaneously in my life today!”
*.https://thehoppers.com/
**
https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/The-Hoppers/It-s-Shouting-Time-In-Heaven
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