Rented Tents

In honor of Benjamin A. Davenport, tent dweller here on earth from October 9th, 1998 to April 28th, 2024

What you see when you look at me is not who I am.  What you see is just my "tent" - the temporary housing for the real me.  The real me is what you cannot see: my soul/spirit that reside inside of this tent.  My tent is the physical dwelling place for me here on this earth, but it is not my forever home.  I am a nomad who is passing through this place on my way to my eternal destination.  Heaven is my home.  That is what is waiting for me and what I long for.  

Someday this tent will wear out, and when that time comes, my soul/spirit will be liberated from the imperfections of this tent and freed to finally go home.  Jesus has paid the price for my entrance into heaven, for every sin to be forgiven and washed away, and because of this I have an eternity with my heavenly father to look forward to that is more than I could ever dream.

Some face challenges and obstacles with their rented tents.  Pain, disease, and various imperfections can come with our tents.  But this does not define us.  This tent is not who we are.  The question is, will you let your tent define you, or will you outshine your tent so that people can't help but see who you really are?

2 Corinthians 5:1-8 The Message

For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade—and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less. That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.

Benjamin A. Davenport faced challenges with his tent, but he chose to dive deeply into Jesus and that is what shone through to anyone who knew him.  Benjamin has been freed from the constrictions and limitations of his earthly tent and we, the ones who still live among the tent dwellers, will miss how brightly he shone.  He shines even brighter now in the presence of his King and I imagine his smile beaming even brighter than before.  Benjamin lives on, but has moved from his tent and reached home ahead of us.

In some ways I will think of Benjamin in the past tense: memories made and impressions left by a life well lived here on earth.  And yet, in some ways I will think of Benjamin in the present tense, because the real Benjamin lives on.  I know that Benjamin loves words.  He loved to craft a well written thought. As I reflected on his freedom from his rented tent, I thought it would be fitting for me to honor his impact on those of us still living in tents by putting thoughts to words.  I am intimidated by the challenge of trying to write about a writer, and yet I think he would be pleased by it.

I will not try to summarize or quantify the magnitude of who Benjamin is, or the impact he had on us.  This is a mountain I dare not try to climb.  I can only say that the limitations of Ben's tent did not diminish the real Ben in any way.  If anything, it spurred him to reach farther and dig deeper and to push for more in this life.  

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”  [Jeremiah 29:10-14]

May God bless your days.  Be like Ben.

Lisa