I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. THANK YOU for being a part of my blog. I appreciate all of your “likes” and visits! I hope 2015 holds the best for you and your family.

As it was the Christmas season and I mulled over the practical implications of Romans 12:9-21, the idea of reworking the poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, came to mind. While this passage in Romans refers to general instructions on personal relationships, I took the liberty of placing Christ’s return (the rapture) in my poem. The question I ask while writing is: What if we are found obeying God’s commands when Christ returns?

***

‘Twas the end of the age, when all through the land

God’s children were stirring, obeying His commands;

Hearts were cleansed through confession and prayer,

In hopes that our Messiah soon would be here;

Pretense and envy were laid to bed;

While visions of God’s love danced in our heads;

And honor and devotion graced the church halls,

As unity and peace adorned all the walls,

Then in a wink of an eye there arose a great blast,

No time for goodbyes, it happened so fast!

Away in the sky we flew like a flash,

Heartache and grief—gone at last.

The moon cast red shadows on the new-fallen snow,

Giving a strange blush to the chaos below,

When what to my wandering eyes did appear,

But a radiant light—so bright and clear,

Surrounded by angels in one accord,

I knew in a moment, it must be our Lord.

More rapid than eagles His angels they came,

And He whistled, and shouted, and called us by name:

“Now, Chandler! Now, Tanner! Now Paiton and Nickson!

Come, Connie! Come, Reuben! Come, Conner and Kristen!

You who believed and followed my call,

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

Like birds with wings we soared into flight,

Such exhilaration, and what a sight!

Up past the stars, with the angels we flew

With new found strength and agility too,

And then, in a twinkling, I heard Him speak—

Like rushing waters, or a bubbling creek.

As I scanned the galaxies and looked around,

My Savior and Lord came with a bound.

He was dressed in a robe of brilliant white,

And His eyes dazzled like beacon lights;

A bundle of crowns He had flung on His back,

Then He winked and grinned when I stared and gasped.

Everything dimmed while near His side,

Even this incredible, soaring joyride.

Then He led us before His Bema Seat Throne,

But instead of dread, I felt quite at home.

No condemnation came from His lips,

Only reviews, pointers, and tips;

Because Christ’s blood conquered sin’s curse,

Eternal life was granted and crowns dispersed.

Then I heard Him exclaim as He greeted each one:

“Welcome home to all—faithful daughters and sons!”

***

You may visit here for more on the rapture and Bema Seat of Christ.