Longing For Heaven

I appreciate every one's comments on the post, Battling Discontentment, especially yours, Dad.  I'm glad you don't think that it reflects me well (made my heart happy!)... though it may not reflect me entirely, it is still there... and I am aiming for a blog that is not only full of cute pictures and hilarious captions, but an honest look at my humanity.  I'm learning to live intentionally, not only with my marriage, my child and my work, but even in how I blog.  No one would believe me if our blog was only filled with the good times, anyway.

Yesterday Scott let me scoot away to another city to sit at a Starbucks with my Bible, some praise music and several good books so I could just get away for an extra-long quiet time to think about these things.  We call them "Day with Dad" and Scott has them regularly... now I see why.

I listened to a sermon from Scott's hometown club; Jeff talked about the weight of eternal glory.  It was so touching, intriguing, comforting, confrontational....

It made me think about what my eyes are set on: the things visible, or invisible?  What is for a moment? and what is eternal?

I have a new hope and longing for heaven, like no time before.  Is it any wonder old Negro spirituals are all about heaven?  They had nothing in this life to look forward to, their eyes had no distractions.  In a way we can envy those who have had the hard, persecuted life; they are not blinded by the things of this earth are that can't be compared to the promise of Heaven.  No time was wasted chasing things that rust and decay.

I made a little list of what I realized what heaven would be like.  I'll share it with you.

In heaven, there is no cancer.
There are no baffling diseases, or even the sure-to-come dread of getting older.

There are no bills that can't be paid.  No living pay-check to pay-check, no pressure to prove yourself to your friends and family.

There is no murder, rape or torture.... nor any kind of social injustice.

In heaven there is no infertility.  No miscarriages, no failed fertility procedures.... and no mother and father will have to bury their child.

In heaven there is no loneliness in marriage.  There is no selfishness, no greed or anger.  There is no disappointment in yourself.

In heaven there are no disasters, no tornadoes or earthquakes or tsunamis that devastate.

There is no starvation or even toiling for food, no labor, no feeling of hopelessness that you will have to wake up tomorrow and do this all over again.

In Heaven, there IS Jesus, the Father and the Spirit.  He has prepared a place for me, a place where there will be no tears or regret, a place where I can't want for anything because He is not only all I need, but all I want.

What joy. The infertility we're facing for the second time will not follow me to heaven.  These months we've been waiting for a second child- what are they?  They are a moment, the blink of an eye.

And these three years we've been away from our family and friends?  Like a breath- one moment is here, and the next is gone.

Some might feel disappointment with the realization of how temporary everything is that we see, like "What's the point if this is all going to be gone one day?"  Let that disappointment give way to urgency.  My marriage is my earthly gift; I have only a short time to love him, honor him and cherish him. It won't matter in ten years if he took out the trash last night; it certainly won't matter in heaven.  I also have an urgency to enjoy the child God has given me, and to raise her to turn her eyes upon Jesus and feel a longing for heaven, not for this world.