Winter is over here in Alaska! Temperatures have gone up and the snow is pretty much gone. Roads are dry and the roofs of the houses are cleared from snow. I don't need my heavy jacket anymore, and boots for -40F have been put away till next winter. For several weeks now I've been making plans for gardening and landscaping and last week we planted vegetable seeds for the garden. I'm just so excited about Spring!
And I'm not the only one. It's the conversation in pretty much every one's mouths. We all talk about it and exchange gardening ideas and tips. I've been reading about all the plants that grow successfully in the far north so I won't waste my time on vegetables that don't really grow up here. I'm so excited about the Spring that I can hardly contain myself. I think about it, I dream about it, I learn about it and talk about it. I just can't wait to start getting my hands on the dirt and stay until the late hours of the day playing in it. How wonderful that this far north, in the Summer, the sun pretty much doesn't set. This way I have plenty of daylight to do all I want to do. I may not even sleep this summer! It's going to be wonderful!
Soon there will be flowers and butterflies every where. The trees will be covered with leaves and days will be long and warm. We'll get to ride our bikes, go for long hikes, and explore with freedom the beautiful nature that surrounds us. We'll get to see again the robins, geese and cranes that had migrated away for the winter, and the town will be filled with tourists discovering the mysteries of the north. Love it!
Incredible how God many times uses nature to speak to us and to teach us valuable lessons. If I feel like this about Spring, how should I feel about Heaven?
Shouldn't I be so excited about a future life without any problems,
without any suffering? Shouldn't I be looking forward to my Heavenly Home so much that I think about it, dream about it, learn more about it, and talk about it?
How sad to think that so many times the cares of this life keep our minds away from what's really important. We are distracted with so many things. Have you noticed how life is just getting busier and busier? We spend our days working and making sure we get things done only to come home at night exhausted from all the toil. Then all we want to do is to veg out in front of the TV until we are so sleepy we go straight to bed. And the next day we do it all over again. And as this goes on day after day, we start loosing focus of God and His eternal reward and the excitement of Heaven goes away. We become comfortable just where we are. Like a friend of mine was telling me this week: Heaven is my Home, but I'm not homesick yet.
How crazy is that! Life on this earth being good enough that we aren't homesick yet. Maybe we just forgot how wonderful Home truly is. Why don't we take a limited-by-my imagination trip there?
First of all Jesus! We will be with Jesus! I don't even know how I'm going to react when I first see Him. Heaven is my home because of Him!
We'll get to build our own houses. I'll build mine near the beach by a waterfall. In fact, the waterfall will be inside the house! There will be no walls between the kitchen and the incredible garden and orchard I'm going to plant. Maybe I won't need a kitchen. Can you imagine that you'll get to design, build, and decorate your own home? And plant your own garden? (See Isaiah 65:21) Precious stones and precious metals will adorn the main city. The pavement in Heaven is the purest gold! We'll get to explore the forest and woods and not worry if a bear or lion is going to show up and attack us. In fact, the bear and the lion will explore the forests with us!
We will enjoy trouble free life. Parents will get to enjoy their
children without worrying about sickness, bullying, or trips to the ER for
broken limbs. Raising children in a perfect world...wow! We will also
experience relationships like God intended them to be. If there is
marriage in Heaven can you imagine how wonderful it will be? We'll get to experience in its fullness the most
intimate relationship God has given to humankind. And we won't have to struggle with having to loose weight, with
not having a job and not knowing what to eat. There will always be
plenty of the best food ever! I'll get to eat fresh figs to my heart's content! We will have everything we need plus
more.
I believe we will be forever learning new things about the infinite universe that surrounds us. We'll get to use to full capacity our perfect minds and perfect bodies. There will be no more wrinkles, no more gray hairs, no more cancer or diabetes nor amputations. No more death! No more sin!!
And we will get to understand even more the amazing plan of salvation and fully comprehend the incredible sacrifice that was made so we could have eternal life. And because of that and because of God's love for us, we will get to praise and love Him throughout eternity!
Talking about it gets me so excited! It's going to be so wonderful. I'll get to be with my daddy again and so many other loved ones who have died, never to separate again. I can't wait!
Of course Heaven is much better than I can imagine. God says in His word that we have no idea about the things He has prepared for us. He's got a surprise for us and He knows we are going to like it! Doesn't that sound wonderful? I really want to be there, what about you?
" What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived - these things God has prepared for those who love Him."
I Corinthians 2:9
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth... God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Revelation 21:1,4
"Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."
Revelation 21: 3
