citizens of heaven

I was moved. Afterwards, I told the group I was with that every American ought to attend one of these at least once in their life.

Tuesday of the past week, a group of about nine of us went to the Harry S.Truman Library for Ming Xue Liu's (Michele) citizenship ceremony.  Michele is Chinese and she and her husband own a Chinese restaurant in Lee's Summit, MO.  She has been attending our ESL (English Second Language) training so she can get her U.S. citizenship.  She has worked very hard and in the process we have become good friends.

We sat in the audience and witnessed forty-nine men and women from 27 countries (example: China, Togo, Cuba, Honduras, Iraq, Mexico, Vietnam, Bangladesh ...) become U.S. citizens.  The Judge warmly welcomed these "aliens" to our country.  The reference to God was woven all the way through the ceremony.  A high school choir sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  Each of the attendees stood up one by one and announced what country they came from.  And then .... they all stood up and declared their allegiance to the U.S. so help them God.  They are now Americans!  I was moved.

Then, I reflected on a day to come, when all of God's people from every nation, every language, every ethnic group will stand one day before The Throne of Grace where the Sovereign Lord rules, reigns and sustains.  And we will declare from our heart our allegiance to Our King and Redeemer.  We will all bow our knee and declare Jesus is LORD!  Their will be a choir - angelic!  And we will enter the Kingdom of God in all of its splendor and majesty, not as subjects, but as sons and daughters of the King; not as slaves but as kings and priests before the King of Kings and High Priest forever!  The scene was poignant.

I was in tears.  I cannot wait for that day!

Even so, come Lord Jesus!