A Glimpse of the New Earth

Last Friday, I crossed the Walt Whitman Bridge from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.  At the toll booth I encountered a man who was clearly a Christian.  I knew it from the first moment of our encounter.  He was exuding joy as he greeted me humbly and happily.  I asked him how he was doing.  He replied, “Better than I deserve.”  (A great response in light of the gospel).  I gave him an ‘Amen.’  

After receiving my toll, he counted out my change with a smile on my face and said, “May the Lord bless you today.”  To which I replied, “May He do the same to you today, brother.”  

This might not seem like much, but it was rather early for me to be on the road and I wasn’t exactly exuding joy myself before than encounter.  But afterwards, yes afterwards, I could not help but give thanks to God for such a providential encounter (after all, I could have picked any number of toll booths that day).  

Not only that, but that brief encounter made me long all the more for the New Earth, where every encounter with every person will be so much more encouraging and joyful than the one I enjoyed that morning.  Can you imagine such a world?  A world where every person enjoyed their particular job and blessed others in the doing of it?  Where we greet each other with thanksgiving and leave each other with blessing?  All the time?  

It’s coming.  And I can’t wait.  But for now, it seems wise to keep my eyes and ears open for such glimpses and to allow them to change my days.  And, no doubt, to do all I can to be that kind of glimpse to others.