Divine Abduction: Precocious Melancholy

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13:14 NLT)

“When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” (Gen. 5:21-24 NLT)

Enoch was only one of two people in the entire Bible [1]who didn’t die either naturally, by the Hand of God, or by the hand of man, but was “abducted” by God. After having first read this passage, I’ve often wondered what it would take for me to just be taken off this planet, straight into Heaven. Let me explain why I felt this way. I don’t recall when exactly, but there was a period in my life, between 5th and 8th grade, when I was pretty depressed; so depressed, in fact, that my mom took me to see a psychologist. I still remember that awkward, embarrassing, and fruitless meeting. How do you explain to a psychologist, or anyone else for that matter, that, at 11, or 12 years old, you despair of life, understand it’s filled with suffering, that life isn’t fair, that the good doesn’t always win, that the fairy tales you read growing up don’t correspond to “reality”, in short, that life sucks? (I was precocious in my melancholy) Life, even at a young age, lost its veneer of innocence, seemed hopeless, futile, without purpose; so much so, that I contemplated suicide as my means of escape (others may choose, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc.). But when I came to know Christ in my junior year of high school, surrendered my life to God and became a “born again” Christian, I realized that my life had a purpose and I had a mission to complete before I could punch my ticket and receive that call Home; that suicide wasn’t an option, that my life wasn’t my own, that I truly was living on borrowed time. Still, I’m not content with merely “phoning” Home (prayer), rather, I can’t wait to GO HOME, because I realize, “…this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.”[2] And isn't this tacit understanding of the brevity of life, of the ephemeral nature of all that exists, that nothing lasts, what is the cause of our dissatisfaction, discontent, and "quiet desperation" (Thoreau)? Only in realizing the fact that, "He has planted eternity in the human heart..", so that in comparison "..all the things that are done under the sun...are meaningless, a chasing after the wind...", seeing that "...creation was subjected to futility..", can we then truly "..Be still, and know that [He is] God" [3] and find rest for our souls: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." [4]
Besides, much of what I want can’t be had in this life. So while my desire to GO HOME, hasn’t diminished, the means whereby I would effect that departure appeared to be a daunting task. In my attempt to discover how to effect such a “divine abduction”, I discovered that Enoch “lived in close fellowship”, “walked steadily” (Message), “walked [in habitual fellowship]” (Amplified), “truly loved” (CEV), and “walked with” (KJV) God for 365 years! I pray to God that it doesn’t take me 365 years to learn how to do that, ‘cause I don’t think I can make it that long (Ps.90:10). But I know that however long God has for me in this, the epilogue of His-story, that as long as He’s with me, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”[5] I have a friend, Rusty, who used to pray, “I’m nothing without You Lord, but I thank You that I’m not without You.” With that in mind I pray:

Our DAD in Heaven, I thank You that You are with me, my brothers and sisters, so I ask would You please bless us today, empower us and give us the grace to “walk with" You, even today? I ask in Jesus’ Name.

“And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” (The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis)

“I know a place where we’ll be together and stay this young forever…We can get away to a better place, if you let me take you there…” (Let Me Take You There, Plain White T’s)
"Someday girl I don't know when we're gonna get to that place where we really wanna go and we'll walk in the sun, but 'till then tramps like us, baby we were born to run..." (Born to Run)
“We want more than this world’s got to offer.” (Meant to Live, Switchfoot)
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." (Henry David Thoreau)
"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 1:14)
'...For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope" (Rom.8:20)
"...while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord." (2Cor.5:6)
"...they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth...they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Heb.11:13,16)
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13:14 NLT)
[1] 2Ki.2:11

[2] 1Jn.2:17

[3] (Ps.46:10)

[4] Mt.11:28

[5] Ph.4:13