PKB Sightings!

I’ve been dreaming about my beloved wife quite a bit over the last few weeks although, it’s not like they contained any deep conversations or special loving moments together.  In most of the dreams… she was just there… somewhere by my side, a quiet participant in whatever was going on in the dream!  But yesterday morning was a little different.

Just before I woke up for the day, I dreamed that she and I had gone to her doctor to get a report on some lab work that she had done.  In this scenario, she was in her early 50’s… which is the age I tend to remember her at, since it was soon after that the physical effects of the encroaching Alzheimer’s began to become evident. 

We were standing at a counter in the doctor’s office when the doctor approached us with a bit of a smile on his face, opened the folder in his hand and said, “We’ve discovered that your wife is pregnant!”  And with that, Piper and I both laughed, well knowing that she was past menopause… and I woke up… with a chuckle that broke through the smile on my face!

I have no idea where that dream came from.  I did have some lab work done last week, so I can understand that part… but the pregnancy?  I haven’t thought about Piper’s pregnancies for a long time!

So… like I said, I’ve been having a lot of dreams about her and since they began, I kind of got into the habit of jotting down a one-line summary… under the title of “PKB Sightings” on the bottom of my daily Bible study note page, of my first waking thoughts of her that day.

Today’s initial thought of her was of her PASSION for just about everything she did.  It was one of her trademarks that separated her from many of her contemporaries.  Whether it was her love for God, her love for me and our children, the excitement and joy with which she approached homeschooling, our ministry with the children and youth at church and even the enthusiasm in the way she ministered to our neighbors or others like the cashiers who rung her out at the grocery store!  She was an exciting individual to be around and spread her PASSION for life to everyone she interacted with!

It's therefore no coincidence that after writing down today’s “PKB Sighting” at the bottom of my note page, that I was eventually led in my Bible study to Philippians 3:12, where the Apostle Paul is writing about his life and in particular, concerning the way that he was constantly striving toward the goal of his ministry call from the Lord saying,

“Not as though I had already attained (the full measure of God’s call), either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

Interestingly enough, the term “I follow after” in this verse is defined in the Greek as, “to pursue or to seek after eagerly, to earnestly endeavor to acquire.” (Thayer’s)  And a deeper look into the meaning of “to earnestly endeavor” explained as, “The bold and sufficient pursuit of an activity with more PASSION, endeavor and application and therefore, often succeed.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

So, with that understanding, it’s easy to see that Piper, as well as everyone else who reads and studies Paul’s writings… including YOU and ME, had and has a TERRIFIC example to follow in the way we pursue our Christian Faith, our callings in life and the ways in which they all intertwine in our daily activities!

The modern PASSION Translation of the Bible, in keeping with the theme of its translation, states Philippians 3:12 as,

“I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with PASSION into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover.” 

I love the idea of living life and all of the things that I endeavor to do throughout the course of my existence with such a PASSION that it oozes all over anyone that gets near me… HOW ABOUT YOU?

I pray that you are having an exciting week and are running with PASSION into the fullness of God (as promised throughout YOURS and MY Bibles) and are stretching out to reach the fulfillment of His purposes while you discover EVERYTHING that He wants for you to discover in your life!

… and all along the way… Let your PASSION ooze off on those around you!