No Mores

In these days, I find myself wanting just a little bit more. Or one more. One more dinner with friends. One more worship service. One more chance to say goodbye. Times of transition always leave me wanting more. Just one more.

And yet I know that "one more" is not always good for me. That "one more" piece of pie isn't something I need or something that will ultimately benefit me (though it sure tastes good!). That "one more" project to do might be what pushes me to the breaking point. That "one more" mile per hour might be what makes the officer pull me over.

But the "one more" I want right now is more like "one more hour, one more day, one more" something.

And that longing for "one more" makes me think of a promise in the very last book of the Bible. Maybe you remember it. Maybe you've heard it read at countless numbers of funerals or memorial services. It's not a promise of "one more." It's a promise of "no more."

As John sees the New Jerusalem being born, he hears a voice from the throne make this promise: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4). No more tears. No more death. No more pain. No more parting. No more goodbyes. No more long separations. No more sin. No more hopelessness. No more brokenness. No more.

And so my prayers are changing. I'm not praying for "one more" anymore. I'm praying for "no more."