As a child I can remember becoming very aware that one day my parents would die. I’d crawl out of bed crying and interrupt their precious alone time and start asking questions about when they would die, hoping they could offer me some hope. I remember one time they told me that they would no longer be married in Heaven. My little kid brain took that to mean that all memories of their life and relationships on earth would be erased. I was traumatized! I didn’t ask many more questions, but I remember thinking “What a cruel God! He allows us to have children, fall in love, travel the world experiencing wonderful things, pursue dreams and then we die and He takes it all away. Then we have to go stand in a giant sanctuary and sing songs for eternity! That sounds more like hell.”
The years passed and I didn’t give much thought to my future home, other than shooting up a quick prayer that God wouldn’t take me their before I had checked off all the grand adventures on my list. Marriage, kids, travel, etc because once I got there the adventure would end. It wasn’t until I was in college and my grandparents began coming around a little more that I began to think about Heaven again. My dads parents, Bob and Mariel, had given their lives to bible translation and lived in the Philippines for as long as I had been alive. They would travel to the states occasionally, but we didn’t spend a lot of time together. I was attending bible college in Florida and they stopped by in their RV and microwaved up some mini Crystals burgers and quiches, the meal I remember eating with them almost every time we met in that RV. My Grandpa would always encourage me to write out the scriptures and memorize them because there was life in the word. And he and my grandma would always talk with such excitement about the coming of the Lord. I’ve never met anyone who was truly looking forward to eternity like they did. And it made me curious. My grandparents moved back to the states about 15 years ago (I think). My Grandpa died almost 2 years ago now, and every time I would see them at family gatherings he was always lost in his own little world softly whispering under his breath “Thank you Jesus, we worship you Jesus.” For every birthday he never wanted gifts, he just wanted us to worship together as a family. When he died I have never been more convinced of anyone’s overwhelming joy of being with Jesus.
Around the time my grandpa died I had lost several Great Aunts and Uncles within just a few years. My kids had been dragged around to a few funerals and they started to ask questions about death and Heaven. The very same questions that I had at their age. I remember one night trying to talk to Zion (my oldest) about Heaven and assure her that she would recognize me if I came to Heaven after her. I wanted to assure her that she was going to love it so much that she wouldn’t be sitting around, sad, just waiting for me. That created a new fear, “what if I’m having such a good time and you come to Heaven and I don’t know and we never meet or find each other?” After that night I became determined that my kids would have such an excitement in their hearts to experience Heaven and be with Jesus that it would never strike fear in their hearts. I’m not sure that I’ve accomplished that 100%, but I can tell you that when we talk about Heaven it’s always an exciting conversation filled with joy and endless possibilities.
So I’m curious, when you really sit down and think about Heaven, does it cause anxiety? Is it the end of life as you know it, or a grand adventure that is just beginning? Does the thought of a never ending worship service in an overcrowded room sound like bliss, or is it possible that there is so much more to Heaven and worship? Do you fear leaving your family and friends behind?
These are some things I’d like to explore in the next few weeks. I am by no means an expert on Heaven. The extent of my research has been listening to a few audio books on peoples experiences with dying and then returning to earth, a few scriptures about Heaven, and a lot of exploring the limitless possibilities of Heaven within my limited mind. So if you’re up for exploring what might lay ahead in eternity then check in for part 2 on Heaven. In the meantime I’d love to know your concerns or things you’re looking forward to for eternity in the comments.
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