 There is an old song by Iris Dement, on page 310 in the Stamps Baxter Church Hymnal entitled “Glad Reunion Day.” Like a cartoon drawing, the music drawer of the file cabinet in my mind has been opened and the melody and lyrics have been streaming out regularly since just after Easter. I’ve caught myself randomly humming the tune and occasionally singing the sweet chorus of joy and verses about meeting our Savior face to face! There will be a happy meeting in Heaven, I know When we see the many loved ones we've known here below Gathered on that blessed hilltop with hearts all aglow That will be a glad reunion day. A glad day, a wonderful day, A glad day, a glorious day There with all the holy angels and loved ones to stay That will be a glad reunion day. When we live a million years in that wonderful place Basking in the love of Jesus, beholding His face It will seem but just a moment of praising His grace That will be a glad reunion day. A glad day, a wonderful day, A glad day, a glorious day There with all the holy angels and loved ones to stay That will be a glad reunion day. By Iris Dement I’m probably giving away my age and one of my favorite music styles by referring to this song! Songs like this are a part of my heritage and there is much comfort to my soul when I hear the harmonies of old-timers singing with such passion, conviction, and strength! I guess it’s my Bible belt days and Tennessee roots showing through. (I’m not posting it here, but if you want, you can look up the Gaither YouTube of it!) I think this blog is timely for me as Restore Ministries recently hosted the 3rd annual reunion for our retreat participants! Ladies from our first retreat (2012) joined with others who have retreated with us over these past four years. What a happy time to see each smiling face greet us as we extended open arms and delightful hugs! It was a glad reunion day! The evening was filled with laughter, yummy food, words of encouragement, singing, and prayer. Though nametags graced the shoulder of everyone present, the lack of not knowing everyone did not hinder the fellowship or the unity we shared. We had been bonded with commonalities as seekers, pursuers, and daughters of Christ and were intimately acquainted with the rest, purpose, and peace He offers when we retreat and pull away to focus fully on Him! Foremost, our evening was spent talking of our Savior’s great love and His mighty deeds toward us. It is the love of Christ that unifies our hearts with one another and the evening was reflective of that as we reunited as retreat participants with one cause, to know Christ more fully. The theme of the evening was A New Day, and the room was filled with the beautiful sound of violin, piano, and women’s voices rising to the listening ears of God. I lead a little devotional about burn out, joy, risk taking and change. A new song, written by my friend Amy, was shared and my heart was full as the women joined in on the chorus. One of the questions I asked everyone still resonates in my own soul. “To what extent will you risk yourself to taste of the fresh newness God provides?” You may get a taste of those words and my thoughts in yet another blog! The evening closed with Kathy sharing our vision for this year. Looking and moving forward to the possibilities God has for Restore always excites me! Our reunion time was of great significance to me. How sweet to meet together and share in the goodness and faithfulness of God! Easter Sunday allowed me the opportunity to reunite with all of my immediate family, minus one! Once again, the reunion was filled with laughter, yummy food, words of encouragement, a song and prayer…and a few other crazy antics! I left with a full heart! It was a glad reunion day! I am now sitting on Kathy’s back porch (taking advantage while she was away!) thinking about the many “reunions” that have been celebrated in her beautiful outdoor setting and home.
 There was a knock at the door…only a young girl heard it amongst the room full of loud voices, good food, deep conversation, and heavy hearts. It was quite possible that the conversation reflected mystery and intrigue as his friends remembered the events and actions taken against Peter that landed him in jail. Then prayers filled the room. Rhoda heard the knock and it was Peter! You know the story, she ran to tell the others before even letting him in. Can you imagine the reunion that night? Acts 12:1-19 gives us details of the story. I’m sure there were hugs, laughter, and stories about how God delivered Peter from the jail. What a sweet reunion. You know the story of the prodigal son. (Luke 15: 11-32) The story ends with a great reunion day! Daniel is reunited with his friend King Darius, after a visit with a lion! The king was overjoyed because Daniel shared with him the mighty acts of the Lord while in the midst of the lion’s den. (Daniel 6) Imagine if you will, the thoughts and actions of the reunions of Christ during the 40 days after His crucifixion. Easter for us was roughly 20 days ago! If we were in biblical days, we would be hearing of His miraculous encounters and reunions with people and still have another 20 days to go! How quickly we dismiss and forget the event of resurrection day! Have you thought about it these past 20 days? The Bible has record of some of those reunions: Mary Magdalene Eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee Luke – Jesus eats with them Paul on the Damascus road…though it was a great light and voice from heaven To Thomas and the others The two on the road to Emmaus 500 at one time Peter by Lake Tiberias "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." Acts 1:3 The reunions were astonishing! “What was the purpose of each encounter?” I ask myself. It is unknown what is said in each meeting, but on many occasions, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God. He rebukes their unbelief and lack of faith, yet comforts them with peace. He brings words of encouragement. He speaks of what the Father has done and will do. He confirms a hope and a future. One part of my imagination sees Jesus in His white gleaming robe just standing in front of those whom He encounters. The expressions on their faces are sober and speechless. On the other hand, the other side of my imagination (the more creative side), all faces, emotions, and reactions reveals amazement with eyes wide and sparkling. An inner joy ready to explode at His first syllable; a heart ready for more knowledge, feelings of unexplainable peace, and an intensity to listen as though it were once again for the last time! Reunions with Jesus! How long has it been for you? The dictionary defines reunion as a gathering of two or more after a period of separation. How long has it been since you have been fully present with Him? Sure, we can show up at church, meet on the porch with friends and pray, and pick up The Word for a quick devotion…but let’s get serious about really re-uniting our heart with Christ. What would a reunion with Christ look like for you? Stop and think about that for a minute.  For me, I think it would look a lot like the list I wrote while sitting on Kathy’s back porch. Song. Prayer. Confession. Encouragement. Laughter. Tears. Dreams. Vision casting. Action plans. Listening. Obedience. And then, I would probably run and tell someone what God is doing in my life! His abundant mercy and grace is so great, how on earth can we contain it? Daniel, Peter, the Prodigal all spoke of their story. Let me encourage you to do the same! Let’s don’t wait until heaven for the Glad Reunion Day. Set aside some time now. We could all use a little more time with Jesus! The time spent is life changing. I dare you! Basking in the love of Jesus, beholding His face It will seem but just a moment of praising His grace That will be a glad reunion day. A glad day, a wonderful day, A glad day, a glorious day… That will be a glad reunion day! Basking in the Love of Jesus, Sherry  Join us each week for Monday Musings Devotional Blog! Have it delivered straight to your email inbox by subscribing at the top right of this page. Follow all instructions! Feel free to share this on your social media. Like us. Tweet us. Contact us. We'd love to hear how God is speaking to you through these blogs.
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