Sassafras was overjoyed to see him again. This is the first time our son has visited us here. Sassy has only seen him once in the year we've been here, when we all met out at the holler around New Year's.
There's a parable there.
We have been touched by the love of God in Jesus Christ. Faith means believing his promise when he says, "I'm coming back." That has both day-to-day and eternal applications. It means believing in joy when you're sad, believing there's help on the way when you're in trouble, and ultimately trusting that when we lie down for the last time that he will be there to meet us when we pass beyond this life.
It had been a long time since Sassy had seen