If I could type in whispers right now, I would.
Beginning this post after typing the title feels like an intrusion.
As though I’m breaking the silence after a heartfelt prayer.
But I couldn’t use anything else for my title, because my thoughts are centered around the concept in that simple statement.
How often do I say “amen,” only to pick up the topic of my prayer again later?
How many times do I skip the “amen,” because I’m having a continuous conversation with Jesus as I work?
What does “amen” even mean?
The literal translation is, “let it be,” or “so it is.”
It’s an expression of strong agreement, or a statement that says, “that’s the way it is.”
I think of “amen” as a peaceful, final punctuation mark, so that nothing can be argued after “amen” has been said – the topic is simply laid to rest.
That’s the way it is… so let it be.
Yet I say “amen” to prayers every day that I pray again the next day.
We all do that.
It’s because we live imperfect lives, in an imperfect world.
I may pray through my fears to a place of peace, and say, “amen.”
I can give all possible outcomes to God and reach total surrender, and say “amen.”
I can praise Him for the many ways He is good to me, both seen and unseen, and say with conviction, “amen.”
But that stamp of completeness, of perfection, that statement of “this is truth” isn’t permanent in a faulty world.
Those problems aren’t gone overnight – and God invites us to keep praying continually.
Our messy hearts will have more emotions to work through – and the Father wants to help us sort them.
His goodness won’t run out, and we will see Him move for our benefit and protection in many more ways. There will always be new things to thank Him for.
It’s not wrong that we pray many prayers. And say frequent amens.
But what would it be like to live in a world where no more amens were needed?
Where completeness would be eternal… where perfection would be unshaken, unchangeable, and amen would last forever?
That’s going to be our reality… in heaven.
This evening, my youth group sang in a long term care home for a beautiful group of people who’ve lived long lives.
One lady broke down in tears as we sang, and I wondered, what unmet longing in her heart caused her to cry?
Was she simply longing to go home after many years of living in this world?
How many other hearts in the room held silent aches for different things, and cry hidden tears for them?
How many in the room regularly take those heartcries to our Father… and often say “amen” to prayers that really aren’t completed yet?
“Eternal God, Faithful and True, all of our longings come Home to You.”
As we sang those lyrics, my mind was wandering deeper pathways than the simple beauty of the music.
Those lyrics were profound in the moment. I don’t know what caused the tears we witnessed – but I do know the One Who can fill every longing.
Every pain that every causes us to cry can be soothed by the perfect love of Jesus.
Every pain we carry here will fade and disappear when we at last “come home to Him.”
After singing a few more songs, we went to another location to practice for our youth program.
One song ends with each part coming in at a different time to sing “amen,” which is where I got the inspiration for this post.
We had to practice singing “amen” so often!
Why? Because none of them were truly perfect.
Just as our prayers here are continuous, and we always end up needing another “amen,” because our lives aren’t complete and perfect.
We eventually stopped singing amen. (I won’t pretend to imply it was heavenly, however it was sufficiently improved to allow us to move on to the next song.)
We will eventually stop having heartaches and tears and needs that we wrestle with until we reach an “amen.”
There’s a day coming where we’ll step out of time and brokenness into eternal perfection.
Into the Light of Jesus…
Into His welcoming embrace…
And every longing will be fulfilled in Him.
Every tear will be wiped away by Him.
Every aching heart will be soothed by Him.
Together, we will enter the completion of His will…
That we are united with Him in glory.
When we feel the perfection of Heaven fill our beings with eternal life,
All the angels will hush in anticipation…
Every heart will be flooded with joy…
And together, we will turn to face our King, then with one voice say, “Amen.”
“This – right here in Your Presence – together in heaven – all things made new – THIS is true. THIS is how it is meant to be. THIS is the way it is. Nothing can change that. So let it be… forever, AMEN.”
Notes from My Heartsong 