Category Archives: He Said, She Said

Heaven Only Knows – The Best of He Said
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Our Father who is in heaven… Matthew 6:9

My Father, who is in heaven. Can I ask? Will you tell me?

You remember Gayle, don’t you? Of course you do. You’re God. Do you recall how, when she was alive, she demanded that her sister carry her outside for a smoke? Remember how the snowflakes stuck to her oxygen tank and formed icicles as she inhaled one cigarette after another? And how she cursed you, saying it was your fault she got cancer. Well I heard from a friend that with those same nicotine-stained lips she called your name and said, “ I surrender. Take me Jesus. I want you to be my Lord.” Is Gayle there?

My Father, who is in heaven. What about that blond-haired boy who sat next to the preacher? The one who wore the white robe, lit the candle, and barely made it through confirmation class. Did he make it to heaven, Lord? Do you see him much? Or did those later years of binge drinking and promiscuity keep him from your throne? You know, God. Will you whisper his name in my ear? I need to know that boy made it.

My Father, who is in heaven? Do you see Dad. God, I hope so. Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it that way, but if Dad didn’t make it then I don’t know what I’ll do. Remember Dad? He goes by Raymond. Or did. You may have given him a new name. I hear that’s what happens when you get to your kingdom. Assuming he arrived. He promised me he gave his life to you, but really, how can I know. How can any of us know the heart of those we love?

My Father, who is in heaven. Do you see empty chairs beside my seat at your table? O Lord, I hope not. Please, tell me my family is there. Or will be. And that my friends have a reservation.

My Father, who is in heaven . . .

“Not enough, Eddie. Not enough.”

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Who makes your joy complete? Introduce them to Christ.

For the Love of God – The Best of She Said
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This, then, is how you should pray: ” ‘Our Father in heaven…

Right there. The place where there’s nowhere else to look, but up. That’s the entrance to heaven, I’m sure of it.

When you scan across the ridge, your eyes catch a glimpse of the outstretched arms of the pine trees and the breeze carries the sweet fragrance of the Father. This is the opening of heaven. Here I wave, and here I wonder if He sees me.

Most little girls adore their dad. I’m no exception. As a child, I loved my father, but we weren’t close. His time was spent working at the local paper mill which left him tired and grumpy most of the time. In fact, Dad was a gentle man, but rarely friendly. So I stood at a distance and longed to know his heart.

Things changed when I became an adult. Dad met the Father and his demeanor changed from the inside out. We drew close—inseparable. Then Dad died. He left me.

When I sit on the mountaintop and gaze across the valley, there is no doubt in my heart Dad is there. As the clouds sift their way through the cliffs and down into the pass, I see them form the illusion of stairs climbing their way upward and vanishing into the depths of the blue ocean. That’s when I lean back and pray.

Our Father in heaven…my father is in heaven. Thirteen years after his death, I miss him the same as I did the day he left me.

I find my heavenly Father in the breath of the mountains. Maybe that’s why I love coming to the summit. It’s here I search. And like a little child, I find myself peering under bushes and pulling back limbs to see if He is, by some slim chance, hiding there. I can’t see Him physically either and that makes me lonely and hungry for His presence. Sometimes fear tells me my heavenly Father will leave me too. Even when I know He won’t.

So on the rare opportunities when I get to climb the face of the mountain, I sit there and pray. I rest assured that God is close. And though at times I feel lost and alone, sometimes abandoned…I know I’ve never really been left. He’s never very far away.

To pray the prayer of Jesus and know that it’s for His love, ever present in me, filling me—keeping me, tells me both of the Fathers I love completely are in heaven.

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Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

 

 

 

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God? Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

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