Heaven

one thing i look forward to about Heaven is the coming together of the Bride of Christ - the church. i saw some friends tonight that i love so much and had missed seeing at church. someone had asked if they were going somewhere else and i defended them, no, i'm sure they didn't leave, wouldn't leave. they left.

now, i'm sure they're someplace wonderful. i know they still love God and i don't question that they are following hard after Him. i just hurt when people leave. it hurts when we divide.

and there won't be dividing in Heaven. there won't be goodbyes. no sorrow, no pain.

i also look forward to seeing Jesus. i want to see Him. i want to know Him fully like i'm fully known by Him. i want to hear His voice and not wonder. i want to rest in Him. i look forward to the end of the struggle to walk as He walked and to run through the sludge that is this life. His face, His pleasure, His presence - that is the prize, the reward.

i want to instill this in my children - that Heaven is a better place. i remember when i was young, not wanting to go there. it sounded boring. gold streets, big whoop. anything gets old after a while. but forever? (open season 2 "i knew about forever, but FOREVER AND EVER?").

but this whole life is a shadow. we see in a mirror dimly. everything we taste, everything we enjoy - it's only a shadow. the One who made every good thing says, THERE is better than HERE.