We took a few of our grandkids camping this week. It was priceless! The joy on their faces brought us enough encouragement to last a month.

As we get older and more fragile physically, I notice that the weight of what really matters to us becomes the driving force of our lives.

Paul also brings across a similar point (in the passage below). If the only thing to consider was their physical comfort, I doubt the apostles would have continued in the spread of the gospel.

Instead, they realized that the weight of glory or the heaviness and importance of God’s work changing lives was far more important than the outward afflictions that they were required to endure.

I told my husband that as great as our trip was, it may be the last “tent” camping for awhile (since the physical aches and pains were a bit much).

Don’t get me wrong, I consider myself to be tough (aka to have “sisu” in the Finnish culture), yet I don’t enjoy pain or discomfort any more than the next person does.

Eternal perspective, however, really does help bring about encouragement and not just for a month. I’m referring to the amazing refreshment found through the renewing of our inner self. This is only accomplished by the love of God poured out in our hearts.

For some, they will resist that truth (that God loves them) and cause pain in order to keep others from experiencing it.

God’s perspective is the only right one. -Teresa #truth #love #notjustnow #eternally

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self^[a] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.