"In my Father's house are many rooms..."--John 14:2
At our house we sometimes talk of heaven.
Like most children, my kids have visions of angels sitting on clouds, strumming harps all day. They're not excited about harps. My son finds the whole prospect rather...boring.
I try to explain: heaven is like the best parts of life, only so many times greater our minds cannot understand it. Whatever we are given to do on earth for God's glory and our joy--heaven will be like that, only so vastly better that imagination and intellect fails.
Ah, they say. Like dancing, my daughter says. Like playing baseball with Jesus, says my son. Only, he says, it wouldn't really be fair: everyone would want Jesus on their team.
Well...we're still having these discussions; still trying to wrap our heads around heaven.
How about you, dear reader? What's your vision of heaven? Please do share, and I'll leave my ideas in the comments, too.
Have a wonderful weekend!
14 comments:
I love the comment about everyone wanting Jesus on their team! :D
I agree, my mind can't even conceptualize the beauty, glory and majesty there. The LIGHT of Christ.
I imagine our eyes will be open to colors we've never been able to see before. I enjoy thinking about this question.
~ Wendy
Hi, Gwen!
Randy Alcorn has an incredible teaching on Heaven. He has a nonfiction book about it and has even incorporated that teaching into many of his fiction books. I'd definitely check it out.
I'm so excited about the Kingdom, about the adventure and beauty, the joy and relationships. I can't wait to see more incredible things that God has created. Most of all, I can't wait to spend eternity with Christ. I can't wait to see Him.
Have a great weekend!
My vision of heaven would be a WARM day at the river, wakeboarding, then coming home to a nice dinner then a good book.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh....
Heaven must be all my dreams wrapped in God's love. It will be the best gift to open ever!
Blessings from the rain,
Sarah Dawn
Gwen, I love your blog! What do you teach? I'm a 5th grade teacher. It's nice to run into a fellow teacher/writer.
This was a beautiful post. I struggle sometimes with heaven, just because I can't wrap my mind around it at all. I think what's hard to rectify, is knowing some people I love won't be there. And that's pretty devastating.
It is truly hard to wrap our brains around the possibilities. I think it will be very relational, but without all of the walls that have bound us here. I also look forward to having all of my many, many questions answered in full. That...will be amazing! And, of course, to meeting the Creator, as well as my baby, Gabriel, whom we lost in miscarriage. So many things to look toward!
Heaven will be the most intense acceptance and love possible, without doubts or end, from God Himself.
It will be basking in the presence of beauty beyond the most beautiful scene, song, and someone on earth.
It will be utter freedom from all the weights which earth and sin have placed upon us.
You all offer such great responses, and have given me wonderful things to think about.
I think heaven will be love, light, freedom, rest, joy. I think it will be involved without being BUSY. I think it will be relationships without the shades of envy, greed, malice, jealousy, and all other untoward emotions that sometimes tinge our earthly relationships.
The Bible refers to heaven as an actual PLACE, not a dream, not a long vision. So I think there will be a sense of 'being somewhere'. I can't imagine wanting to be ANYwhere for eternity...but then, that just proves that I'm earthbound, shackled, and for now...seeing through a mirror darkly.
Thank God for His untold riches!
Gwen, I've had this tab open since yesterday trying to answer your very profound question.
I think of the Philly commercial where she's running around with wings and her cream cheese and I know heaven isn't silly and fluff.
I've posted photos on our church blog of interpretations of Revelations with God sitting on His throne with Christ at His right hand, and all those angels singing and blowing horns. Would it be a cacophony of sounds to my sensitive ears?
No, I don't think so. I think my ears would fill with a kind of music I can't even imagine, but it would soothe and comfort me even in its jubilance.
My fav hymn while growing up was 'Mansion on a Hill'. I could sing it by heart. No one sings it anymore. Why?
Sorry... I'm ruminating...
Great post as usual, Gwen. Thank you.
Dearest Anita,
I agree. I'm no big fan of cream cheese, with all due respect to Philly. So I'll skip the version of heaven that involves that sticky white stuff. :)
You bring out great points about music, Anita. I agree with you: I think it will be beyond what our imaginations can conjure, and will not be clattering or loud.
One thing I can barely imagine, though, is God on the throne. Who can comprehend it? But I await in joy.
God bless you richly today, dear Anita.
I agree with Kristen, I loved Randy Alcorn's book on Heaven!
My idea of heaven- Beauty and peace beyond belief. Basking in God's glory forever. Praise dancing and singing for my Saviour throughout eternity.
Thank you for a heavenly post and thank Anne LB for linking to it so I could find it.
I agree with all the wonderful comments.
Do you remember Johnny Carson, night show host/comedian? In an interview with Billy Graham, Johnny asked, “Will there be golf in heaven.” Billy wisely answered. “Johnny, if you get to heaven, and if golf is necessary for you to experience joy there, then, yes, there will be golf in heaven.” Pure Joy.
On a personal note:
Recently, 9/11, I attended the birthday party of my two year granddaughter. Her birth date is bitter sweet and somewhat fitting for her life thus far. Since two months old she has suffered from seizures and has remained mentally at that age. Although her body has continued to grow in size, she can't talk or walk or even hold her head. She must be fed through a tube in her stomach.
I gave her a birthday card. I told her there are a lot of things I just don't know. Like why, on your birth date in 2001 was our nation shaken by terrorists and why you shake with seizures. But one thing I know and look forward to, one day we will sit together and talk. We will laugh and walk. And I can hardly wait to hear you sing.
Although I've never heard her utter a word other than groans from seizing, when I pray for her I see her singing. I just know she will be able to sing with the best of the angels. I still pray she recovers. I want to teach her to ride a bike and fish and swim. But no matter what, I know in heaven she will be seizure free and I suppose, maybe she will be teaching me. That is going to be heaven. Pure Joy.
I agree with all the wonderful comments.
Recently, 9/11, I attended the birthday party of my two year granddaughter. Her birth date is bitter sweet and somewhat fitting for her life thus far. Since two months old she has suffered from seizures and has remained mentally at that age. Although her body has continued to grow in size, she can't talk or walk or even hold her head. She must be fed through a tube in her stomach.
I told her there are a lot of things I just don't know. Like why, on your birth date in 2001 was our nation shaken by terrorists and why you shake with seizures. But one thing I know and look forward to, one day we will sit together and talk. We will laugh and walk. And I can hardly wait to hear you sing.
Although I've never heard her utter a word other than groans from seizing, when I pray for her I see her singing. I just know she will be able to sing with the best of the angels. I still pray she recovers. I want to teach her to ride a bike and fish and swim. But no matter what, I know in heaven she will be seizure free and I suppose, maybe she will be teaching me. That is going to be heaven. Pure Joy.
Thank you Gwen for a heavenly post and thank Anne LB for linking to it so I could find it.
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