The Weight of Glory and A Pair of Shoes

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. -Romans 8:18

As a student in college, now more than 10 years ago, I loved this verse. At the time, I think I loved the idea that nothing in this world could get me down, because God's redemption was so complete it covered even the bad stuff. Of course, at the time, "the bad stuff" consisted of unrequited feelings from boys I liked or an argument with someone in my family.

Fast forward to present day. I drove home today with 3 pairs of shoes in my car that used to belong to my friend Midi, who died almost 2 whole years ago now. Mark, knowing we wore the same shoe size, let me know he was starting to clean out the closet. Along the way, I talked to my friend, Hideo, who's cancer is now at least 12 times the size it was when it was found early this year, and who has now been told by more than one doctor that there is very little they can do. Friends have been married and divorced, family and friends' families have passed away (some tragically) and the world of present sufferings can feel downright overwhelming.

But the weight of glory has proved its worth as well, as only time and suffering can truly test. It's funny -- I always understood the glory to be a future thing, like one day when we all die and go to heaven, we'll get to see this awesome glory and it will make it all okay. But I realize now that this glory is formed and revealed in us as we suffer today. And the more we suffer with Jesus (and not in isolation of him), and the more you see the difference when others suffer alone, the easier it is to recognize the amazing weight of that glory that is anchoring me through whatever may come.

When Mark first called about the shoes, I felt a little weight in my heart and almost told him I just couldn't do it. But I realized that Mark - and Midi were she here - would be glad to have her belongings go to those she loved. And if I believe that Midi is not dead in the eternal sense, which I do, then her old belongings were only temporarily hers anyway - just as all of our things are borrowed in the end.

Still, I cried my eyes out for about 10 minutes when I got home. The thing glory will not do is make you numb, and I'm glad for that. As I went about getting ready for bed, I thought how much I look forward to the end - when all of this present suffering will fade away and I'll get to see all loved ones I've lost again. And in the meantime, there's still more glory to be revealed.