“There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores. Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’ ” (Luke 16:19-26 The Message Bible)
The weather where I live has had freezing temperatures for days! I could write a song about it, “It’s getting cold in here! Please put on all your gear!” Just kidding! Seriously though, it has been absolutely frigid. When I look out my kitchen window I can see the playground of a big elementary school. When the air temperature is above 32 degrees, and the sky is clear, the children and the teachers not assigned lunchroom duty or those who don’t have a scheduled free period based on a rotation schedule, they have to go outside for recess.
However, there is another side to this recess story. If you know any primary school teachers or substitute teachers, just ask them. They will tell you that when the temperature is below 32 degrees or the wind chill temperature makes being outside dangerous, the children have “No Outside Recess Days.” Sounds good but read on.
Instead of getting a break from the classroom, these educators must stay inside the classroom with the energetic children who can let energy be released in an enormous way. Many of the children find “No Outside Recess Days” punitive, purely restrictive, and based on my substituting experience a few years ago, some children see it as painful, from an emotional perspective and social point of view. I’m telling you firsthand, there was no relief from what the children and teachers had to endure on “No Outside Recess Days.”
There is another place where there are “No Outside Recess Days.” And in this place, to be truthful and factual with you, there is never and will never be any relief from the punishment, the restrictions, or the emotional conditions. Oh, there will be others around, but they will not be socializing. More so, they will be gnashing their teeth. Yes, you know that place as Hell! Thank God that His children will not have to experience this place. Yes, the reality is that there is a heaven, but there is also a hell.
Listen! Somebody you know needs you to forward this meditation to them so that if they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, they can turn to Him now and be saved from those “No Outside Recess Days” that last for an eternity. Go ahead, forward this meditation to someone who reminds you of the rich man in the opening verses. Use this as an evangelizing tool.
Now for you, rejoice that you are on your way to a place where the conditions are so great that they call it “Paradise.” Have a great day! Forecast: The Son will be shining! Be blessed!
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 The Amplified Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King