Eternity Equation

Most days, when I'm driving or just sitting quietly, I find myself thinking about something I call the eternity equation. It's this thought that keeps popping up: "Our Father in heaven is testing to see if I truly want to live with Him forever?"

For those who know me well, you know I have a 1040-year plan. I don’t focus on planning a week or a month ahead—I’m planning to rule and reign with Christ when He comes back as King of the world.

This Easter weekend, we’re camping. We carefully invited those we’d love to share this trip with—people who enjoy camping, who love one another, who don’t mind bugs and the outdoors, who are all in for campfires and the surprises nature throws at us. Most importantly, we wanted to be with people who can laugh a lot, have patience with one another, and enjoy each moment.

In Numbers, our God camps right in the middle of the people He’s chosen, and over time, He is faced with the hearts of His invited campers. Sadly, many cancel their plans or make their trip miserable, closing their hearts and minds to others.

With all His experience, I think our First Love uses countless ways to test whether He’ll be able to spend eternity with me—and whether I’ll want to spend it with Him.

He taught His 12 campers (disciples): Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5).

I’ve come to really appreciate the word long-suffering. Our God is long-suffering. He looks down on His earth and sees unhappy, ungrateful, dissatisfied, unruly, and addicted campers in 2025, but He doesn’t light a match or call down fire. He’s patient, slow to act.

How many times have I said, “Lord, just get rid of this person or that situation”? On the best days, I struggle to get along with the people He invites. How then, would I be fit for the trip of a lifetime?

Our King is meek, and I believe He wants those camping with Him to share that same meekness. That, I think, would make for a truly beautiful camping trip.

I want to prove to Him that I’m “camping material,” because I believe that anyone who wants to camp with Him forever will share those same qualities.

So, my 1040-year plan is simple: to be a meek camper.

Here is a self made ceramic lamp stand, a keepsake from my 2012 camping trip at our favorite spot, Bangasnek, KZN. It captures the memory of a night when strong winds battered our tents, and all the campers were holding on tight to their belongings, trying to keep everything from being swept away.

My Beautiful, only in the arms of the One who loves us First can we be happy campers every day!