The List

Today my wife, Rhonda, is writing for me. Enjoy!
On Saturday we headed to a US Army base near Frankfurt to watch the Basketball Championship games for our two youngest children. To get onto the base, you have to pre-register. I sent all of our family’s names and passport information to the coach and he forwarded the information to the base. All this had to be done weeks in advance of the tournament.
When we arrived, the officer at the gate scanned his book for our names. He found all the Fortune family names except for mine. Then he checked his computer but couldn’t find any record of my name on the Access Roster. My heart sank a little knowing that I would not be allowed in. David said that he would go ahead in and see if he could find someone who could sign me in.
As I sat down and waited, I felt a little perturbed that I was the only one who couldn’t enter. I got up and walked around outside trying to get my mind off of not being able to get into the most important games of the season because my name was not on the list.
As I walked, I thought about another list. Actually, I thought about a book. There is another list where I really want my name. Thinking about the Lamb’s Book of Life helped me put all this into perspective a little; in light of eternity, this wasn’t all that important.
I had to wait about a half hour before one of the coaches arrived who had Military Status and was able to sign me on. It was a short while before I was re-united with David and ready to watch the games.
When I reached David I told him about my anxiousness of being off the list and the stress of not knowing whether I would be able to get onto the base. I told him the way I had a “mini-revelation” about wanting to be on the most important list. His response was, “Aren’t you glad you know someone who’s going to get you into heaven?”
I looked at him and smiled—at peace knowing that Jesus had done it all. My name is written in that Book. I am on that list and I have confidence that I will be in heaven one day. “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” (Revelation 3:5)
I hope you have that confidence too.

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