While listening to some old codgers sharing “Fish” stories, I was impressed by the number of times they used the word “was.” I was a teacher. I was a contractor. I was a carpenter. On and on they used the “was” word. I didn’t hear many “will be”s. Apparently their ambitions for things yet to come were quite limited. I suddenly wanted to know about conversations in heaven. Surely after we are a few thousand years old we will have a host of “was” stories. We can lead off with “I was a sinner and Jesus saved me.” That’s an amazing “was.” We can follow up with a list of places we had visited. “I was on Planet Fantastic in the Gamma Group of galaxies.” We will have lots of “I am”s. I am an organist. I am a chess champion. Those can go on and on. No need to use “was” since our brains will be excellent retainers of skills and information. What is truly grand about this is all the “I will”s. With an infinite amount of time always in front of us we can create a very ambitious list of “I will”s.
One of the first “I will”s I have on my list is to attend the wedding feast of the Lamb mentioned in Revelation 19. I’ve been to many weddings and have been to a lot of receptions but nothing I have ever seen will come close to, “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.”
Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’”
That is a great “I will.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on January 21, 2026
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org