We were pleasantly surprised to see some old friends walk into church this past Sunday. They were a couple we knew in the first church Ben pastored; interestingly enough, that church’s name was Valley Bible Church. We had a great time reminiscing about those early years. It wasn’t long before the names of an older couple came into our conversation. Their names were Bob and Maxine Jones. We all agreed that we learned what grace truly looked like from these two. They left a lasting impression and legacy of grace with the four of us and countless others. 

Bob and Maxine often talked about heaven. They knew they were heaven bound. They saw life filled with opportunities to encourage others for God’s glory. Meeting other people’s needs was their top priority, whether it meant a home-cooked meal or babysitting for weary parents. It was easy to see what was important to them. 

We moved away from this small church and town but kept in contact with the Jones. We would often seek their advice through the years. We knew we would get sound biblical advice from this gracious couple. We visited them occasionally when we had the opportunity to do so. One particular time stands out in my mind. Bob had bone cancer and was confined to a wheelchair. With tears in our eyes and grateful hearts, we thanked them for putting up with us. When we arrived fresh out of seminary, we were pretty naive and green, as they say. That we made mistakes and lacked maturity and experience was pretty evident. Bob quietly said, “We had pretty good material to work with.” Wow, I can’t think of a more gracious statement than that! They are both in heaven now, awaiting their resurrection bodies.

So, what’s important to us? We run through a checklist of faith, marriage, family, and health. In reality, most of us live in the moment. Our daily to-do list is always present in our minds. Even as believers, we don’t give much thought to heaven. We’re too busy, just struggling to get through each day. As we get older, we realize our bodies are perishing. 1 Corinthians 15:42 says, “So also is the resurrection of the dead, it is sown a perishable body it is raised an imperishable body.” Our earthly bodies will become frail and will eventually wear out. When our health falls apart, we think more about heaven and getting an imperishable body.

Spurgeon said, “Between here and heaven, every minute that the Christian lives will be a minute of grace.” What will be our legacy? Will others speak of our grace, compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance after we are gone? Life is short, and since we don’t know when He will call us home, shouldn’t we live out “minutes of grace” while we wait?

Face to Face

By Carrie E. Breck, 1898

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?

Refrain:
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

Only faintly now I see Him,
With the darkened veil between,
But a blessed day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.

What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
Death is swallowed up in vict’ry,
And the dark things shall be plain.

Face to face—oh, blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loves me so.