Heaven Is Going to Be Awesome

I've been thinking a lot about heaven lately.  With my cousin's passing in January, I find comfort knowing he is with Jesus, and that he is at peace although I am so mad and sad he is gone.  I recently heard about John Burke's book, "Imagine Heaven," and I am fascinated as I read each story.  With the global pandemic and the challenge of daily fatigue pressing in, I am so relieved to know there is a heaven with no more sickness and pain.

I wonder will we be able to make mistakes in heaven?  Will we sleep at night?  Will there be a night? For me personally I look forward to: no Celiac Disease, no fatigue, no nearsightedness, NO GLASSES, no worry, no anxiety, no body image issues, no impatience, no racism, no fighting, no sickness, NO ALLERGIES, no jealousy, no longing, no rudeness, no shaving?, no aches, no embarrassment, no terror, no school shootings, and so on and so on.  And as I read about personal encounters with Jesus, I look forward to a perfect person who loves me more than anyone ever has who brings me ultimate peace and unfailing love. Hallelujah!

Here are some verses on heaven.  There are so many more to study.

Revelation 21:4 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

John 14:2 

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

1 Corinthians 2:9 

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

John 3:16 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9-13 

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Luke 23:43 

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Matthew 6:19-21 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Hebrews 11:16 

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

2 Peter 3:13 

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Luke 12:33-34 

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Hebrews 13:14 

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Genesis 1:1 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Revelation 21:1-27 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ...

I Want to Be a Weekend Mommy

            “Why are you so grumpy?” accused my three-year-old as we sat on his bed in the dark.  He was right.  We had completed the bedtime routine and depleted my patience.  He jumped around on the couch during bedtime snack.  He wiggled off the toilet and left a bit of a mess on the floor.  He was distracted by puppy tattoos during tooth brushing time.  So, after getting hit in the face by his pillow for the third hit during story time, I was done.

            He was just being an active three-year-old at bedtime.  His behavior is not out of the ordinary for his age, or for himself at any time, to be honest.  Why was I so grumpy? It was a weeknight.  I needed to finish loading the dishwasher and take a shower.  I had to go to sleep and try to be rested for my job requires me to talk and pour into others for seven hours the next day.

            Fast forward to Saturday.   We started out slowly—my favorite kind of morning.  I sipped on coffee and made bacon and eggs for everyone.  We took a walk together before the clouds rolled in.  When the rain came down, we sat on the back patio soaking in the sound and sights of a summer rain.  “Can I pway in the wain?”  he asked.  “Oh sure.”  Weekend mommy is more go with the flow.  We have more snuggles and smiles at naptime on the weekend. That afternoon, we ran through the sprinkler together and filled up the wading pool.  I took pictures of my happy boy and the blooming flowers that had grown from the seeds we planted three months before.  Weekend mommy is not rushed, therefore not stressed, therefore kinder.

            Ugh! How can I be weekend mommy all the time?  Well, essentially I can’t.  One thing that makes the weekend so special is that it’s not every day of the week.  I need to keep a mind of peace despite the fatigue and pressure of the daily grind.  I should dust off that yoga mat although I have been known to fall asleep in child’s pose at the end of a long day.

            The other night I was wiped out and frustrated by my son’s repeated attempts at averting sleep.  As I lay in the dark in his bed, he started tracing my lips with his finger trying to force them into a smile.  While I shouldn’t plaster a fake happy mask over the real mood, I can work to change my frame of mind.  I need to be thankful for my precious fleeting years with this little one, for one day I will yearn for them.  Just as he traced my frown, I choose to trace the timeline back to beautiful moments we’ve shared:  holding and staring at him when he was a baby, chasing his giggling little self around the kitchen, or hearing him say, “I wuv you.”  I cannot be a weekend mommy every day because I can’t have a weekend every day, but I can make each day count by being loving mommy every day.