While I was on staff at Carpenter's Way we used to sing a worship song entitled Better is One Day. The chorus

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

comes from Psalms 84:10 .

I actually ran across this passage while I was preparing for Karen's death. We both knew she was going home from the hospital to prepare to die. Unless God miraculously healed her, there was no way she would be healed from cancer.

Last night I was lying in bed - yes I do sleep on occasion - praying when this passage came back to me. As I lay there pondering the reality of this passage I thought of Karen.

While Karen was preparing to worship God for all eternity, she lived the truth of the message. She loved life, loved friends, loved family, but loved God even more. She knew the truth of this brief but deep passage of Scripture. One day in the presence of God is so much greater, so much better, than all the time we live on earth.

But how many of us live a life that relates more to David Crowder's Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die on the band's A Collision CD. We all want to go to heaven, but who is willing to die for it. I know there are multiple levels I can take this. Here's where I'm going - do you really want to physically die to spend one day - ONE DAY - in God's presence? What if you knew it would be sooner than you thought? What if you knew, like Karen, without any doubt, you were going to die?

You will! Ever thought of that? You and I will die - unless Jesus comes back first - we will die!! Sooo. . .are you looking forward to spending one day, ONE DAY, with God, than all the days on here on earth.

Karen wasn't afraid of dying, she just didn't want to suffer. She looked forward to spending time with God. She exhibited Psalms 84:7

Do you?

Mike