Some days, heaven seems like such an ephemeral concept. I’m fully convinced that one day, one of two things will happen: either I’ll close my eyes on earth and wake up in heaven, or the Lord Jesus will return for His faithful at His Second Coming. But in the midst of the ordinariness of life down here, heaven sometimes doesn’t seem very tangible to me.
Please don’t misunderstand: I believe that heaven is real. I believe it’s an actual, physical place I will one day inhabit by the grace of God, along with others who have loved His Son and longed for His appearing. But does heaven feel real to me? Not always.
You see, the greatest thing about heaven is not just that I’ll get to avoid going to hell, which is also very real. The most mind-blowing thing about heaven is that I’ll get to live in the presence of God for all eternity and see His face. And that’s the difficulty. My mind is blown.
When I try to meditate on what it will be like to see the face of the One who died for me, I can’t truly comprehend it. I feel as if I’ve touched the lapping water at the edge of the seashore without being able to wade in. I’ve had a taste of the ocean, but venturing farther would overwhelm me.
Other things about heaven, however, are easier to grasp. Revelation 21:4 tells me that after God wipes all the tears from my eyes for what happened on earth, I will never cry again. Neither will heaven hold any more death, mourning, or pain in store for me.
Now that, I can imagine! I enjoy my life on earth—a lot—but it’s not perfect. At times, pain has intruded, and I’ve been hurt. I’d love to live in a place where I knew that would never happen again.
In heaven, I will, starting with the redemption of my body. I won’t feel physical pain anymore. I won’t get sick or suffer from allergies, the flu, or something worse.
My body will never be weak or tired. I’ll never have to haul myself through another day, weary beyond belief. I’ll never lack the energy to do the things my heart desires to do.
I won’t need bifocal contacts anymore. My knee won’t ache when the barometric pressure changes. My body won’t deteriorate as I get old. I’ll become—and remain—physically strong, healthy, and whole.
Not only that, but I’ll be emotionally unbroken. Instead of experiencing pain when I think about what was done to me, or what failed to be done for me, I will rejoice at God’s grace in carrying me through.
In heaven, I’ll never be rejected by someone whose acceptance I longed for. I’ll never be lonely. I’ll never be left out, misunderstood, or brushed aside. I won’t hurt anyone else, either.
I’ll never try my hardest and still fail, or find that my best efforts weren’t good enough. I’ll never be frustrated, discouraged, or at my wits’ end.
I won’t struggle to relate to God anymore. I won’t sin.
My heart will never be broken on my children’s behalf because of what they have to endure, because they’ll be there with me in that perfect place. My Savior is their Savior, too.
What will I be able to do? I’ll be able to eat my fill of bread without worrying what it will do to my blood sugar. I’ll be able to run from here to there without asthma squeezing my chest so tightly I can’t breathe. I won’t be allergic to strawberries.
I’ll get to be with most of the people I love forever. I’ll meet some I never met on earth, including my precious babies. I’ll relate to some people like I’ve always wanted to on earth, and I’ll talk with them in ways I’ve only dreamed of.
I’ll never have to say goodbye to loved ones ever again. I’ll never have to grieve over losing them, because there will be no more death in that place.
I will be constantly, completely, infinitely loved as the person God created me to be, and I will feel loved. Forever. For all eternity.
A heaven like that, I can imagine. That kind of place seems real.
I consider myself abundantly blessed in this life, but if it weren’t for the fact that my family needs me, I’d be ready to go Home now. As good as life can be at times, I’m more than ready to leave the shadowlands behind and enter the brilliant perfection of the Home I was made for.
Until then, when pain and grief assault me and I long for something better—something more—I’ll trust God to carry me through. Because one day, this life will be over, and I’ll be alive in ways I’ve only imagined.
I can’t wait.
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.