Presenting Our Shoulders

“I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness…” Isaiah 61:10

I must admit that I have been completely immersed in the reality of Heaven over the past month or two. I unapologetically write that sentence because to be heaven-minded is to distance ourselves from earthly pain. Being heaven-minded allows me to see my dad again in the eyes of my heart. Gosh, I loved my dad and I couldn’t have asked for a better one! He has been gone for almost 11 years now but in my mind, I can still see memories of my parents together. One of the most precious memories I have of them is how Daddy would pick up Mother’s coat, she would turn her shoulders to him and he would slip her coat onto her small frame wrapping it around her. There was something both intimate and magical about watching that small gesture with large significance. That gesture was full of love…respect protection

…intimacy...gratitude.

I remember reading in my grandmother’s journal once during the time she was grieving over the death of my granddaddy, that despite the pain she ‘presents her shoulders to her Father to receive His garment of praise.’ She understood that whatever pain was being experienced in her life could be lightened by allowing God to cover her. She understood that the greatest way to endure was to engage in praise with His equipping. A few decades later as she laid in the nursing home at 101 in a broken garment, I can only imagine the scene as she opened her eyes fully healed, skin fully smooth, body fully whole. ‘She arises and walks toward the Throne as God stands up, smiles with tears of joy in His eyes, and moves towards her. She turns her back on Him to present her shoulders for her Father to slip her robe of righteousness around her new spiritual body.' I just wonder if the Lord gave Grandmother the honor of placing Daddy’s robe of fine linen onto his shoulders as he arrived? I truly can get lost in my imagination but anything grand that I conjure up in mind about our loved ones in Heaven will fall woefully short than what the reality of Heaven is really like for them.

To receive the garment of praise and the robe of righteousness we must always approach our Father with the willingness to ‘present our shoulders,’ to allow Him to cover us…to carry us… to wrap His love around us. One fine day we will follow in our loved ones footsteps which will lead us to a destination like none other.