Face to Face

Face to Face

by Mrs. Frank A. Breck

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. 

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 darkling veil between, 

But a blessed day is coming, 

When His glory shall be seen.

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! 

What rejoicing in His presence, 

When are banished grief and pain; 

When the crooked ways are straightened, 

And the dark things shall be plain. 

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! 

 Face to face! O blissful moment 

Face to face—to see and know; 

Face to face with my Redeemer, 

Jesus Christ who loves me so.

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! 

We have some friends in Northern Georgia whom we have only known by email.  For about fifteen years Peggy and her husband Bryan have received Glen's daily email devotional, The Special of the Day. . .From the Orange Moon Cafe.  Now and then circumstances and issues presented opportunities for communications between us. Over the years we have come to know their family as they have come to know ours, all by long-distance.

That is until last week.  When we realized our trip to Tennessee for hiking would take us near their city, we suggested a long over-due meeting.  Peggy would not hear of a simple "meet and greet" and instead opened up her house and her hospitality for us to stay with them for two days.

Now, those who know me know I am basically shy.  The thought of meeting someone for the first time, much less staying with them, can cause me to expect awkwardness.  But one moment with Peggy & Bryan brought only fellowship and camaraderie.  

I liked Peggy instantly and found her open and honest heart to be something to which I was drawn.  She was an incredible encouragement to me in ways she will never know.

 She and I have such similar beliefs, thoughts and sensibilities.  It was not as if we were meeting each other for the first time, but as if we had known each other all our lives.  Her husband Bryan is as perfect a match to her personality as Glen is to mine.  Our three days were filled with wonderful times of sharing the Lord with each other.  I left refreshed, encouraged, challenged and uplifted.

This experience, and the beautiful old hymn "Face to Face" remind me that there is another meeting which awaits those of us who are Christians.  The day will come when we will see our Lord face to face.  

As with Peggy and Bryan, this won't be a time of awkwardness or discomfort.  It will be simply meeting Someone we have known all our Christian lives.  We will be blessed by His Spirit, His love and His faithfulness.  We will find we have the same beliefs, sensibilities and goals because it is the Father's purpose to conform us to the image of His dear Son.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, 

and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: 

but we know that, when He shall appear, 

we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."  

I John 3:2

"But as it is written, 

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 

neither have entered into the heart of man, 

the things which God hath prepared 

for them that love Him." 

1 Corinthians 2:9