Heaven, Pt. 7, The Place of Beauty and Song

I wander through tall, thin blades of grassy meadow, my hands gently brushing the individual leaves of green that graze my knees. A gentle wind blows both the slender reeds and my hair as I pause to take in the entire scene. Quiet, serene, peaceful. Trees fully leaved and green rustle in the breeze; sprinkles of melodic earth-chimes. The sound, a unique form of song.

I look up into the sky, crisp bright blue, accented only by the occasional puff of purest white cotton-candy clouds. The brightness of the day radiates from the Creator, and there is no need for a sun. The warmth of the light feels like a gentle blanket hug-- comforting, desired.

I walk over to join others gathered in small groups under majestic oak branches. Nearby, children laugh and play, running and jumping, no longer fearful of falling or being hurt, and never getting too tired to keep going. Their giggles keep smiles on all our faces, and we thank God for the joyfulness these little ones bring. Many of us feel a deeper sense of gratitude as we now see how He safely kept our children who left us too soon on earth.

People from throughout the ages sit here and talk. They share about their lives and how they now realize God was present in every moment-- even the difficult, dark days when hope seemed lost. Lives lived in the various centuries faced so many different challenges. Those stories alone captivate for hours. With each story told, our hearts erupt and re-erupt with shouts of gratitude and adoration for a God who loves us so much in spite of our propensity to evil and rebellion.

As the testimonies continued, a tray of fruit was presented and each of us enjoyed the peaches, pears and grapes, all dripping with juicy sweetness. Pomegranates, currants, dates, and exotic fruits never seen before all burst with flavors beyond anything previously experienced. Each one showered our senses with amazing aromas and exquisite tastes. We ate not because we were hungry, but because it was pleasurable to taste and see what the Lord had provided for us. With the curse of sin and death removed forevermore, all of creation is now in its purest form; the way it was intended from the start, the way it was in the Garden of Eden before the Fall.

Rivers and streams dance over rocks and boulders, babbling and splashing along their banks. Oceans and lakes sparkle and shimmer under the light of His glory; sparks from their waves jump and splash like diamonds, sapphires and emeralds tossed to and fro in the playfully effervescent surf. Waters restored to their original created splendor and purpose; fishes and sea animals swimming and leaping in rhythm...a rhythm that resonates with the song of the waves and the trees, as if they were part of the same symphony.

In the far distance I see mountains. Some with snow covered peaks, others still green. Great eagles and hawks soar above their peaks, while robins and sparrows, parrots and hummingbirds flit about here and there, their melodious chirping harmonizing with the rest of nature's anthems. Several swoop down and land on our shoulders, bobbing and dancing, encouraging us to join them in their chorus.

Flowers are everywhere! Some species are well-known, while others are so exotic they seem unreal. They grace the fields and parkways and seem to spring up wherever there is laughter and joy. The sounds of happiness scatter like seeds which suddenly root, grow, and blossom within seconds to produce opulent, heady-fragranced blooms. Some bear colors sharp, deep and dramatic, like glowing embers or dark blood; others are pale and soft with the appearance of velvet silkier than baby hair. All seem to be swaying to a familiar beat, and all sound like they are humming. Their beauty is overwhelming.

In this place, there is complete rest, complete peace, and perfect joy. Without thought, my heart bursts with love and praise to the One who made it all, and I find myself singing and humming in unison with the rest of creation. 

Things I had found beautiful and breathtaking on Earth, now seem dim and gray and unimpressive. The curse of sin on the world and all humanity caused them to be diminished, colorless, flawed-- dying. Here, all is alive and vibrant, no longer held under the grip of sin's curse; no longer dying.

In this forever place, the gray has been removed. All is as it was meant to be, as the Father originally created and purposed it. Perfect. Untainted. My eyes, now restored and whole, see clearly the beauty of my Father's creation and my heart overflows with thanks and love and gratitude. The words spill out from my mouth, "You alone, my Father, are Holy and magnificent and worthy of glory and honor!  Forever and ever Your praise will be on my lips!"
 
It will not be "work" to praise Him for all of eternity. It will be a natural overflowing from our hearts.  All that He has given to us in eternity, all that He has made us to be, all the joy we will experience, and the simple, superb beauty of His presence with us, will cause His praise to spring from us effortlessly.  All He sacrificed for each one of us will be more than enough for us to join in creation's song of worship.

Photo from QVectors.net

Heaven, Pt 6, Meeting Who?

"Mommy!" The sound of little ones call out to me loud and clear. Although I'm not sure I recognize the voices, I know by the leap in my heart who they are; Sarah and Matthew, my children who entered heaven when they were just babies. I spin around on my heels and see them running towards me, jumping and skipping with their arms open wide, smiles beaming widely midst giggles and laughter.  They crash into my legs with all the energy running little children bring, and together we fall to the ground in a giant three-pronged hug. Faces held and kissed over and over, hair stroked and brought near as I inhale their sweetness. We have so much catching up to do. Volumes of stories to be told, hours and hours of lap sitting, miles of walks to be taken. Decades worth of puppies and kitties to be cuddled and played with; many missed birthday cakes to be eaten. So much of what was taken from us, now being fully restored with eternity's time to do it in. There is no rush as we slowly get up hand in hand to begin exploring this new world. They gleefully lead the way. 

I am stopped by the sound of a familiar voice calling my name. "Daddy!", I call out as I run into my father's embrace. "I've missed you so much!" It is pure joy to see him restored to full health-- a young, vibrant man once again. I melt into the freely given love of my earthly father's hug, sweetly enjoying the outward expression of heart-felt emotions which he held strongly harnessed when we were in the world. 

"Look, Mommy," Matthew chimes in, "here's our other grandpas."  I stand agape as I see generations of men who were part of my lineage; faces and names I never knew. My grandfathers who had passed away before I was born, my great-grandfathers, and great-great-grandfathers. What amazing men to meet and learn about and hear their stories of struggle and faith. 

Sarah pipes up, "Mommy, don't forget to meet our grandmas." Again, groups of women come and introduce themselves. Women who lived through the centuries now come forward to tell their stories of how they were saved, and how their love for God was passed down to the next generation. Aunts, uncles, cousins all come forward to greet me, and in that moment, I am so thankful I have all of eternity to spend getting to know these precious people. I am in awe of their words and what they did. Because of them-- because they stayed true to the faith-- I am here. 

Others have come to greet me. Some I recognize as old friends who passed into eternity years and years ago; others are persons I read about in Bible stories or history books. As I simply allow my vision to take in the panorama of the multitudes surrounding me, someone touches my arm, gently tugging to get my attention. A young woman starts to speak, then chokes back her words as if she were about to cry.  Softly, she manages a smile as she begins again to offer her thoughts. "I am here because of you."  Others around her-- men and women, young and old-- nod in agreement. "We're here because of you, too." "Really? What did I do? How am I responsible for your being here?" Each in turn shared their story of how something I said or did began a chain of events which led them to God. A smile given at a moment of complete desperation and hopelessness, sharing my own pain and how I survived it, an act of random kindness, a sincere prayer offered for a complete stranger; the list went on. I was shocked at how something which seemed so small and insignificant to me altered the eternity of another human being. 

Below is a song I remember from my youth. Little is much when God is in it. When we do anything from a heart of love and obedience to God, we will never know how far-reaching those actions go. We will never know until eternity how our lives impacted others. Be faithful, obey God, and be prepared to meet the many who are in heaven because of you.
 
Words & Music: Kit­tie L. Suf­field, 1924

In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! the voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you. 

Refrain

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

In the mad rush of the broad way,
In the hurry and the strife,
Tell of Jesus’ love and mercy,
Give to them the Word of Life.

Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.

Are you laid aside from service,
Body worn from toil and care?
You can still be in the battle,
In the sacred place of prayer.

When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, My child—well done!”

Thoughts on Heaven, Pt. 5, First Moments in Heaven

I walk through Heaven's gates and am overwhelmed with the presence of holiness and purity. Love encompasses me and swirls around me; it flows through me. It covers me with a warmth that is familiar, but now stronger, more permeating than what I experienced before. To simply stand is a struggle. I fall to my knees in a simple act of surrender to the powerful presence of the One who saved me, the One I now kneel before.

I cannot lift my head, nor raise my eyes to look into His. Startling awareness of the years of sin and guilt rush in like a flood, playing over and over again on the movie screen of my mind, and my shame is staggering. I see myself clad in a filthy, shredded gown. It is fouled and bloodied from the battles I have been in and bears evidence of a sin-filled life. I see the scars from wounds accumulated over the years. Interestingly, the scars are not so much on my physical body, but in my mind and heart. Some are jagged and deep; some superficial and clean. Many are well-healed, but others ooze, and I feel grotesque in His presence.
 
Gently, He takes His hands, deeply scarred by crucifixion spikes, and cups my face in them. Slowly He lifts my chin until we are eye to eye. Tears stream down my cheeks as I feel the crushing reality that it was me-- my words, my thoughts, my evil deeds-- that pushed those cruel thorns into His head. It was my sin, my punishment He took with every whip crack and every vicious punch and kick. Every burst blood vessel, every drop of blood sweat, every jagged splinter from the cross that gouged deeply into his already ripped open and raw flesh, was because of me. What I deserved, what should have been done to me, was instead done to Him. In obedience to His Father, Jesus took all the punishment due to me so I could be redeemed to God. The entirety of my sin and its effects are before me. "I'm sorry, Jesus! I am so sorry!" 

With my face still cupped in His hands, He gently wipes my tears away. "Beloved one, the moment you accepted my sacrifice and believed in Me, I became your Savior, and your sins were wiped away. I do not see them, nor do I remember them anymore. What you are seeing is a memory of what used to be. You no longer wear the rags you see yourself in. You are royalty. You are my Father's daughter, my sister. You are a Princess-- grafted into royal blood. Look now. Look at your clothes." 
 
I look down. The filthy, torn rags are gone. In their place is a robe of purest white. It is His robe, and He has put it over me. He has covered me, paid my debt, and clothed me in His robes of righteousness. I am cleansed and whole. Tears continue to flow down my cheeks, but now they are tears of joy.

He directs my attention to a row of colorful bottles of different shapes and sizes; crystalline containers sparkling with rainbow prisms that dance off faceted edges.

My eyes look up at His. "What are these, Lord? They look beautiful!" He opened the first bottle, slowly pouring its contents out. I am taken back as the black, slimy liquid drains out. How could such a gorgeous carafe contain such putrid ingredients? "These are tears you cried in bitterness and anger."  The next bottle was opened and poured out. Blue-gray liquid as salty as the sea rolled slowly out of the bottle. "These are your tears of sadness and grief." Another bottle was opened and poured out. This liquid was shimmering gold, nearly dancing as it tripped and splashed out of its container. "These are your tears of joy and happiness." Bottle after bottle of my tears He had collected were opened and poured out until there were no more.

I looked at the remaining bottles belonging to others yet to arrive in heaven. I noticed there were more bottles of certain types of tears than others. He explained that some people experienced more happy tears, while others have cried many more tears of sadness. Others lived a long, hard, worldly life before accepting Him as Savior, and they have more tear bottles of anger, malice, and sorrow. It was revealing.

With one swipe of His hand, all of my poured-out bottles were gone, along with the evidence of their contents. Puzzled, I looked up into His face again. "I have seen your tears, and I have collected them here, waiting for you. In heaven there are no more tears, no crying. The former things have passed away. Enter into My rest." 

I knew that tears would never again blur my vision or leave salty trails down my cheeks. My days of crying were over, forever.

Thoughts on Heaven, Pt 4, Gifts: Here and Now, Then and There

What do you love to do? Is your free time taken with reading great novels, or conquering 18 holes at the local golf course? Do you enjoy music, art, painting? What brings you joy here on earth, and what fuels your passion?

I love nature. I love to garden and get my hands dirty. I like the feel of the earth in my hands as I squeeze and press the gritty soil between my fingers, and I love to see tiny seedlings grow and produce beautiful flowers or delicious veggies. I love the work involved in tilling the soil, and pulling weeds, and hauling water. I may not always be excited about the labor and sweat effort, but somehow it brings great joy to my inner being. 

I like to create. I crochet. I enjoy watching a piece of yarn become a baby sweater or tiny booties, or a goofy hat a child will enjoy. It seems like magic as the metal hook weaves a single thread into a work of art. I also enjoy painting. I do not possess the exquisite talent others have, but my paint-by-numbers have brought me hours of joy. Even though I'm no Rembrandt, it makes me happy when I find and fill in all those tiny "2"s, "3"s, and "4"s.

I also enjoy writing. I may not be a Hemingway or T.S. Eliot, but I love to write. It has always been easy for me to express myself in written word. Somehow my pen pulls the inner thoughts and feelings from within me and translates them onto paper with such ease. It isn't work for me; it is an extension of me.

So. What do you like to do? What flows from you or brings you joy? What seems to radiate from the "real" you? 

God has given us gifts, talents and abilities as individual and unique as each of our fingerprints and genetic makeup. He created us to enjoy and be good at certain things-- gardening, cooking, writing, reading, singing, and yes, even golfing! He put those specific gifts within us for His glory. They bring joy to our hearts, but they also bring joy to His heart as He watches us use those gifts and abilities.    

But do these individually unique endowments end here on earth when we die? Are they only given for use in the here and now? What will we do in heaven? Will the things that we find pleasurable here be lost when we go to heaven?  

God created us to live forever. We are eternal beings; unique and fitted to live in heaven. Gifts are not given and then retracted. Heaven will be a "re-opening" of all the wonderful uniqueness we have already been given. We will be "re-opened" in the realm of perfection, where all things will be made pure and beautiful. 

Can you picture in your mind what that will be like? I can barely wait for that day! 

Thoughts on Heaven, Part 2, Is Heaven Boring?

For many years I struggled with the idea of going to heaven. Images of what my "forever" life would be like in a place I had never visited before left me uncertain, especially when my images were less than favorable.

There are no travel brochures with elegant, high-resolution photos highlighting the perfectly serene blue waters of pristine lakes, or mountains, snow-capped and grand. No photos of the "mansion just over the hilltop" waiting for me to move into, and no pictures of those streets of gold. There is no list of "who's who" waiting to greet new arrivals, and although we know Jesus will be there, and loved ones who have accepted Him will be there, it would be comforting to see who "made it".

White robed and feathery winged angels floating around a blue sky or sitting on puffy white clouds strumming their golden harps really do not appeal to me. Sure, it would be great to see an angel, but I am really not a fan of harp music. Listening to that for all eternity is not my idea of "perfect" music, and it is a really big turn off if I have to play one, too.

And who wants to go around wearing nothing but long, flowing white robes?  We'll all look alike. No fun color choices, no variations; and really, who wants to see men in robes? Do we have to wear the same outfit every day for the rest of eternity? Again, not a big draw factor.

What will we do all the time? The Bible talks about praising God and singing to Him, which I am sure we will gratefully do, but is that it? Do we all stand around in our white robes, accompanied by angels with golden harps, singing and praising God every second until forever ends?  

Honestly, it didn't seem like a desirable place to go. If others have the same images, no wonder earth seems so appealing, and heaven so unsought after. 

My ideas of heaven were so limited. So bland. So wrong. 

The problem was this: With a less than stellar view of heaven, my life on earth took a place of prominence that it never should have. When earth becomes more desirable than heaven, you have forgotten where your true home is.  

Heaven must be accepted by faith. We cannot use earth's standards to determine how amazing heaven will be. We must trust our Creator when He said He has prepared a place for us, and it will be wonderful beyond measure; beyond anything we can even imagine or think. 

I have begun to see heaven differently. With eyes of faith, I believe God is giving me tidbits and glimpses of what heaven will be. Small, tiny peeks, but ones that have made my heart leap to go there.  Join me?

If our Father only gives good gifts to His children, what an incomprehensible gift heaven will be!

Thoughts on Heaven, Part 1

Heaven.  How many of us have spent time pondering heaven?  Is there a heaven?  What must it be like?  How do I get there?  Do I want to get there?  So many questions and yes, we do have some answers-- at least those who believe the Bible to be true have answers. 

But there are still many unknowns, and sometimes the fear of the unknown causes us to pull back, or maybe even doubt. The reality of a place called Heaven is at times hard to grasp-- hard for our finite human minds to lay hold of, to claim as our inheritance and permanent home. 

I have given more thought to heaven recently. Perhaps because I am getting older, and the longer one lives, the more reality strikes that our days are indeed numbered. Or perhaps because of all that is happening in our world, and we have to wonder if the "end" is truly near. Or maybe it is because the longer I live, the more friends and family I have waiting for me over there, and I miss them. The circle is not complete as long as some are here, and some are there.

There is no guarantee of a long life. Knowing this, we should all walk as if this day-- this hour-- could be our last to live on earth. There are no exceptions. Everyone dies at some point. All of us. Old, young, middle-aged, parents, singles, straights, gays, good, bad, rich, poor, black, white, yellow, political or not, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, satanist... ALL will die at their appointed time. We all have an expiration date stamped on us.

So when that time comes, are we going to find peace, or are we going to find fear beyond compare?   Will we know what lies beyond? What is heaven really like?   

I claim to have few answers; only those given to us in the Bible. Beyond those glimpses, I can only speculate and share what I believe may be what is beyond the gate of "death."

These are my musings, my thoughts. I don't present them as facts, just as things to ponder. One thing we do know with absolute certainty; what heaven holds for the believer will be beyond anything we are capable of thinking or grasping. My simple ideas will pale greatly to the reality of what heaven is truly like. 

I don't know about you, but when I think long and hard about it, all fear drops to the wayside, and excitement fills my heart. Heaven IS real, and it will be amazing!