Tonight after devotions, Jerek asked when he would get to see God. I explained that there were two ways that he would get to see God. The first was when he died. We talked a little bit about some loved ones we know who have died and gone to heaven and how exciting it will be to see them someday.
I then told him that the other way is when Jesus comes back. I told him that we don't know when, but someday Jesus will come back to Earth. A loud trumpet will blast (at this I cupped my hands to my mouth and said, "doo-do-dooo!") and then everyone who believes in Jesus and loves him with all their heart and tries to live like him will, BOOM, go up in the sky with him and go to heaven and to God.
His eyes got big.
His jaw dropped.
His little face just lit up at the picture that must have formed in his head. "That is so cool, Mommy." he whispered, "I can't wait to go to heaven."
What conviction I felt. In my selfishness and fleshy sinfulness, I lack that excitement about Christ's return. There are days like today, when I am perfectly comfortable with snuggling with my little boy on the couch and reading or leaning over and kissing my wonderful husband and he wraps his arms around me in return. My sinful, limited view tells me that this is all I need in life. Life is good and I don't need to leave it.
Father forgive me. My finite mind cannot conceive the wonder of the truth of your return. Help me to have that childlike faith and amazement that my son has; that you have called all of us to have.
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
I know what you mean. It's hard for us to understand having never seen it or been there, that Heaven is going to be even better than all the best we have known here. At first glance it feels like we'll be leaving and giving up more here than what the gain will be. I know there will be a day when we are standing next to our Lord and we think, "How silly was that thought!".
ReplyDelete