Mortal meets eternal

I attended a wake this past week. The next morning I was thinking about how the family would be celebrating this dear woman’s life at a memorial service that day, and also how they would be grieving their loss. I prayed for them, and then I thought about where she is right now. She believed, and trusted in Jesus. She’s in heaven. And then I thought about what her day might be like and I wondered…how does one exist in Heaven? How do us earthlings possibly stand in a holy place before a Holy God and even begin to take in the never-before-experienced, perfect glory of His Kingdom?

I mean, won’t we need to simply kneel with faces to the ground, bury our head in our hands and maybe squint through our fingers once in a while to glimpse the wonder around us? Couldn’t the stunning brilliance easily blind our eyes, or send us into massive culture shock? Sometimes, when things are going so well here on earth and God’s Spirit is so clearly present in me, I can hardly take the amazing feeling of joy. It comes close to overwhelming me. So, how will I ever be able to exist in such an unbelievably wonderful place as heaven?

As I considered this, I pictured myself – a newcomer to heaven - kneeling, as described above, face to the ground with my head buried in my hands. Envisioning this, I could feel glory overpowering me and I began to panic at the stark contrast of this place, to my recent, and seemingly lingering, human sinful nature and surroundings. And then I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder… I looked up and saw a hand held out to me. It was a hand from one coruscating in a mixture of brilliant whites, metals and fire. His eyes were blazing flames of fire, until He looked at me...

Immediately those flashing eyes transformed into shimmering pools of warmth and attraction that were sparkling at me as smiling eyes do. He sweetly, but firmly, took my hand and helped me off the ground and into His arms. As He did, I noticed a jagged, round scar on his hand and knew that I had nothing to fear…

Jesus walked, and was crucified, on this broken, sinful earth for me, so that I can walk with Him in a perfect, glorious place that is being prepared for all who follow Him. Thank you my Savior! Without this surety, the entire lot of Grandpa’s humanitarian and spiritual work would have amounted to limited benefit to the people of Cameroon or the world. With it, the benefits are for, and last, an eternity.