Hubby is throwing an epic party for his team at work this coming Thursday. His team just completed a huge, massive project which they all have been working on for the past 4 years. And they finished last week!
So, this calls for a celebration!
This calls for a party!
Four years ago, when the team first embarked on this huge undertaking, hubby brought in a treasure chest to work for the kick-off meeting. Inside the treasure chest, hubby had filled it with fun-sized 100 Grand candy bars.
As hubby led the kick-off meeting, explaining to the team the importance of this project and how it would save tons of money … he pulled out the treasure chest! And just like Oprah Winfrey on her tv show with great flair announces to the audience: “You get a car! And you get a car! And you get a car!” … so also, hubby opened up the treasure chest, and tossing out the 100 Grand candy bars to the team, he said: “You get 100 Grand! And you get 100 Grand! And you get 100 Grand!”
It was hilarious!
So … the treasure chest is coming back again for the celebration party this Thursday! Whoo Hoo!!
As a “Thank you” reward for everyone on the team, Hubby ordered special pins, with the team/project logo. The award pins turned out super nice! Hubby is excited about giving them away to everyone.
In addition, hubby had special stickers printed out with the team/project logo … which everyone on the team is welcome to have, to put on their computer, or wherever they would like.
Not only that … hubby also has some “fun” awards to give away to the different people on the team!
Each of these “fun” awards needed a special team/project logo sticker … so last night hubby & I were going to put stickers on everything. However, I wound up terribly distracted taking clever, artsy photos of all the “fun” awards with the treasure chest. And in the end, hubby wound up putting all the stickers on by himself. (haha!)
Here you can see the “Red Bull” Award! This “Red Bull” Award is for those members of the team who sacrificed sleep and were up all night, for days & weeks in a row, working insanity to get highly complicated, complex things completed at a last-minute’s notice. These people are heroes!
Inside the treasure chest are … 100 Grand candy bars! These “100 Grand” Awards are for all the team members who worked with tireless dedication to make this project a success!
Also, inside the Treasure Chest are … “Fruit Loop” Awards! These awards are for those members of the team who kept everything organized and flowing smoothly … these hard-working team members kept everyone “in the loop.”
The highest awards of all are the “Secret Sauce” Award! … and the “Awesome Sauce” Award!
Hubby’s epic celebration party is in just two days. He carried boxes with all the rewards in to work this morning.
I couldn’t help but think of the passage in the final closing verses of the Bible, where Jesus states:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” – Revelation 22:12-13
Also, these words from Jesus came to mind: “Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven.” – Matthew 6:20
Heaven is going to be a party! It’s going to be a celebration!
“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)” – Revelation 19:6-8
Just like hubby’s work party is going to have delicious food, and celebrating, and rewards … so also, when we get to heaven it’s going to be the most epic party ever! We can’t even begin to imagine how epic heaven’s party is going to be!
There’s going to be amazing food … and rewards!
When we get to heaven there will be rewards for us! How awesome is that!
Ephesians 2:10 states:
* “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)
* “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (NLT)
God has good works which he has for us to do while we are here on this earth. Our time on this earth isn’t just to live for ourselves … to enjoy ourselves … to have a good time … to have more than the next person … to look better than everyone else, etc.
We draw breath each new day because God has things for us to do!
God has an assignment for us to accomplish. God has works which he has prepared in advance for us to do.
When we get to heaven, God will reward us for how faithful we were. God will reward us for how well we accomplished the things He had for us to do.
Just like the “Red Bull” Award winners sacrificed sleep (and their very health) for the accomplishment of the goal … so also God will reward us for the sacrifices we made for His Kingdom and His work.
Just like the “100 Grand” Award winners worked tirelessly, with dedication to accomplish millions of dollars of savings … so also God will reward us for all of our tireless hard work and dedication for heavenly “treasure.”
Just like the “Fruit Loop” Award winners kept everyone “in the loop” … so also, God will reward us for “staying in the loop” regarding the things he has called us to do.
But the highest rewards of all … the “Secret Sauce” Award! … and the “Awesome Sauce” Award!
I don’t know what the rewards, exactly, will be in heaven. Or what the highest rewards will be.
But perhaps we could imagine the “Secret Sauce” Award being given for those who lived their life with the “Secret Sauce” of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit was their “Secret Sauce” … and that’s why they were able to accomplish the amazing things for God’s Kingdom that they did.
When these people get to heaven, perhaps they are given the “Secret Sauce“ Award for living 100% connected to the person and power of the Holy Spirit! That would be amazing to receive that award! I want to aspire to receive that reward!
And perhaps the “Awesome Sauce” Award might be given to those people whose lives were so infused by the character traits of Jesus Christ that their life looked just like Jesus! Perhaps. We can imagine. If so, that would be amazing to receive that award! I want to aspire to receive that reward!
Jesus says:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” – Revelation 22:12-13
