Hebrews 11-13:

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. - Hebrews 11:13-16 NIV

Why are some taken from this earth at an early age, while others linger on and on, outliving their bodies and many times their minds?  I would say it is another mystery, but perhaps it is not so mysterious.  I think of Derek Loux, a talented Christian musician and man of God who was taken long before his time, yet when I listen to his music, I see that he already had his heart and mind set on that eternal city, that heavenly kingdom.  Perhaps it was not such a stretch for him to reach out and grab that kingdom with all his heart, mind, and soul when he had the opportunity, leaving his earthly body behind.  I'm afraid that others, myself included, are more bound to this earth than we care to admit and that may explain why some who have been declared dead come back to life.  This earthly country still draws them more than the heavenly one. 

I want my life to be caught up in the promise of what lies ahead.  That doesn't mean I want to be so fixed on heaven that I am no earthly good, but I want to be fully aware that heaven, being in the presence of God, is my ultimate destination and anything else pales in comparison.  I want to live my life daily fully aware that I am an alien and stranger on this earth, looking for a country of my own.

2010 Post - Hebrews 11-13:  Faith That Cannot Be Shaken