Category Archives: Heaven

Homeland Security

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Traveling in and out of foreign countries can be tricky, and the best idea is to cooperate with those in charge. At official airport checkpoints, it’s wise not to speak until spoken to and then to give short, succinct answers. Forget the ad libs, the cute quips, the attempts to be friendly.

This morning as I left England, I was ushered through 3 airport security checkpoints by uniformed officials in search of eye contact and honest statements. As I waited in line, I worried about several things. Would they be irritated by the orange in my carry-on, since fruit in luggage is a no-no? I remembered being lectured long ago because a banana peel had been in my bag hours earlier. Its lingering scent won me a bag inspection.

Displaying my clear plastic quart-sized baggie with small gels and lotions in it, I approached checkpoint number two thinking I’d covered all the bases. Then I remembered the lip balm in my coat pocket.

Watching the woman in front of me get frisked and then endure a pocket check, I pictured myself in an empty room asking for one phone call. Thankfully I made it through that one, but while sitting at the gate, one more check occurred. Several men arrived with leashed dogs trained to sniff bags, encouraging them to walk slowly past each of us… twice.

I couldn’t wait to board the plane that was sitting just outside the airport window, the one with “American Airlines” written along the side. After feeling like airport officials had been searching for a way to exclude me, that airplane represented the end of judgments and the beginning of warm acceptance.

After I was finally buckled into seat 33A, the plane took off and flew across the entire Atlantic Ocean above a carpet of fluffy white clouds. That heavenly scene pulled my thoughts to spiritual judgment and the harsh exclusion I deserve because of repeated sins. What will it feel like to stand in front of Jesus with that kind of record? Although airport officials had a certain measure of power over me today, Jesus will have far more on that day.

But the glorious truth is that when I arrive in paradise at life’s final checkpoint, the Jesus in front of me will have already given me clearance because of arrangements made long ago when he took my rejection upon himself. And from everything I read in Scripture, when I stand in front of him, I’ll experience the warmth of an acceptance like I’ve never known.

Today at my very last checkpoint, the one inside in the United States, an immigration officer looked me in the eye and said, “Welcome home.” That felt pretty good, but when Jesus says it, it’s going to be downright spectacular, the ultimate in homeland security.

“Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.” (Romans 5:16)

Eagerly Watching

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I’ve always loved being a mom. As a little girl I bonded with dolls and wished they’d come to life. As a 10 year old I named 8 children I hoped to have, and when I became a mother, despite the work load, it was my dream come true.

One day a girlfriend came over with her young children, and as our little ones played, we sipped coffee and chatted about how best to teach children about Jesus. Suddenly she said, “I’d be happy if Jesus came back to get all of us today.”

I said, “Oh, I hope not! Life is too good right now!”

Today, from my vantage point as a 60-something, I look back at my 20-something self and say, “How dumb can you be?”

Earthly life can’t possibly measure up to to heavenly life, and knowing the invisible Jesus can’t compare to relating face to face. It takes a leap of faith to accept these truths, since we have no frame of reference for what we read in Scripture about heaven. But I’ve bought into biblical truth 100%, leaning on it day-to-day, especially now in widowhood.

After Nate died, my longing for heaven shifted from, “It’ll be wonderful,” to “I can’t wait!” Though that change doesn’t directly mention a longing for Jesus, the truth is that Nate’s exit to heaven served to fasten my attention not only on his new home but also on the new and improved relationship he’s enjoying with Jesus. And in thinking more about that, my heart’s desire to meet Jesus has grown by leaps and bounds.

Even so, I’m challenged by the Bible’s statement, “You should eagerly watch for his return.” Surrounded by earthly matters, I’m not always “looking up” like I’m supposed to be. Am I anticipating Jesus’ coming as enthusiastically as I would look forward to a vacation or Christmas or even a friend’s arrival?

One of the lamps at my house has an interesting finial. It’s a tiny cat in a sitting position, purchased many years ago to represent the 5 cats our family has owned. The other day while cleaning, I noticed the cat was facing the window and the woods beyond, almost like she was watching for something. Though she isn’t real, I chuckled and thought, “Maybe she’s looking for the predicted snowstorm the rest of us are eagerly anticipating tonight.” I saw that little cat and couldn’t help but think how my gaze toward Jesus ought to be just that steady.

We have hundreds of things to think about each day that serve to push out thoughts of Jesus, but not to think of his coming at all is a mistake we’ll regret. Maybe I’ll use the cat as my reminder to “keep watching” for Jesus, at least in my heart.

As I turned away from the cat, it started to snow.

“Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

 

How true…

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Today I spent some time with a skin doctor here in Michigan who’s gradually becoming my friend. She’s invited me to call her by her first name (Deborah), which is a good thing since she runs her hands over every square inch of me.

Today Deborah was on a meticulous hunt for sun damage and skin cancer. Although the word “cancer” floods me with negatives, the words “skin cancer” have been part of our family since Mom began having spots removed 20 years ago.

Being raised on a Lake Michigan beach had numerous advantages, but the one disadvantage was a slow, steady assault on our youthful skin at a time when sun screens hadn’t been invented. We viewed sunburns as a happy signal that summer had arrived, and our parents believed a burn would eventually morph into the “base” for a safe and healthy tan. And tans, they thought, protected our skin for the rest of the summer.

We all know better now and have sun screens galore. Skin damage, though, is permanent, and beach lovers of my generation are all dotted with it. When I arrived home after my appointment, several projects awaited, one of which was reframing a few photographs. Amazingly, God linked one of them to my skin travails. I’d just had 11 pre-cancerous spots removed and was feeling decrepit, but he encouraged me with a lovely thought.

My very favorite “last picture” of Nate from all those taken during the 42 days he had cancer, had needed a better frame. It’s been sitting atop his high boy dresser in our bedroom as a daily reminder of my good history with him. This afternoon as I set the newly framed picture back in its spot next to a plaque Mary had given me, I caught my breath. I’d seen the picture hundreds of times and the plaque, too, but not until today, after a doctor’s appointment reminded me of my decline, did I link the two.

The plaque says, “The LORD your God is with you.”

Looking at Nate and I together in the picture, it struck me that the two of us now relate to that plaque in radically different ways. Although I know God is with me, his presence isn’t literal. Nate believes the statement, too, but for him it’s literally true.

Receiving that thought from the Lord lifted my sinking spirits, which had been completely focused on the inevitability of physical deterioration. It reminded me that one day bodily wear and tear will end for me, too, just as it has for Nate.

I hope I can  hang onto that positive thought long enough not to worry about what’s going to happen 6 months from now. That’s when Deborah is expecting me to swing by for another intimate visit.

“We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus. Therefore we do not lose heart.” (2 Corinthians 4:14,16)

Up and Out

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Nine days ago I was working at the computer one night when I heard a strange scratching in the kitchen. It sounded like a giant mouse running around in a cabinet. When I went to investigate, I realized whatever it was was running around in the small cupboard above the stove. I didn’t dare open the door.

That cabinet had been a rodent residence before, until I got around to buying mouse poison. But knowing this one probably squeezed in through the fan vent made me hope he might depart the same way.

The next morning it was quiet, but I bought some D-Con poison to put in the cabinet anyway, just in case. The morning after that I checked the poison, and the industrial-sized rodent had returned, had eaten most of the cardboard boxes and also what was inside them.

I closed the door and decided to let nature take its course.

But night after night the scratching returned, 8 evenings in a row. This was one resistant mouse! Then yesterday morning I opened the cabinet and shrieked. Lying down, pressed between the cabinet door and my cookbooks, was a BIG something! In a nano-second I slammed the cabinet shut and wondered what it was! Surely it wasn’t a 9” long mouse! Maybe a rat?

I decided not to open the cabinet again, worrying he might fly out at my face and bite me with his poison-drenched teeth. But later when Mary came, we cracked it open to take a peek. He was still lying there but had changed his position.

Not knowing what to do, we did nothing. I rubberband-ed the cabinet closed, and we decided to sleep on it. When we carefully opened the door today, we got our first good look at him. A baby squirrel! I felt awful. Why would a baby squirrel be running around in winter weather?

He had died, but probably died happy. Three boxes of palette-pleasing poison were completely gone. No doubt he’d looked forward to his special end-of-the-day treat every evening.

“Well,” I said, searching for a silver lining, “at least he won’t have to struggle through a cold winter.”

Sometimes I think that same silver lining applies to people, too. God removes someone from this troubled world, taking them to heaven, and we wonder why a life was “cut short.” Could it be he wanted to spare them from a “cold winter?” That’s a question to which we’ll get an answer only in eternity.

I do know in Nate’s case that he’ll never have to struggle with the winter of old age or die in the cold reality of a long, drawn-out illness. Being spared of those is blessing indeed. But even better than that is his new life of “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Peter 1:8)

It’s already begun!

“Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.” (Isaiah 57:1)

Heavenly Sunshine

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When I was a child, we Sunday school kids loved to belt out this sing-songy little chorus:

 

  • Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine,
  • Flooding my soul with glory divine!
  • Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine,
  • Hallejuiah! Jesus is mine!

I always thought the best word in there was “heavenly.” If something was heavenly, I knew it was extra good. I figured heavenly sunshine must be superior to earthly sunshine, which was already pretty nice. Mom fed into my thinking without realizing it when she described something phenomenal as, “Out of this world!”

Although I was young, I was on the right track. Scripture says we should all spend time thinking about what’s going on in heaven. Of course the best thing there is the Godhead, and thinking about our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is always a worthwhile mental investment.

Since Nate died, I’ve been investing a great deal of new thought on his being “out of this world,” and according to the Bible, these thoughts have God’s stamp of approval. Colossians says, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven.” (3:1) Although I can’t detail exactly what Nate is doing, seeing, or thinking, I know all of it is heavenly, so it must be phenomenal.

When we follow God’s urging to think heavenward, the result is that we’re lifted out of our present-day doldrums and planted into the supernatural. And this is a very specific supernatural that belongs only to Jesus Christ. Although he knows we’re currently grounded on earth with its frustrations and limitations, he invites us to pick up one foot and plant it in eternity… right now. When we do, it changes our view of earthly life.

We’ve all heard the expression, “She’s so heavenly minded, she’s no earthly good.” That’s not what Scripture means. We can “think heavenly” without having our “head in the clouds.” Jesus wants us to claim the blessings he died to give us, not just in the hereafter, but today. He wants us to think about him waiting for us and meditate on the home he’s preparing for us. He says when we do, the negative influence of our current troubles will shrink. Even more importantly, he wants us to think about our membership in his family. By accepting salvation, we’ve died to earthly existence and have come alive spiritually. And he means today, right now.

When we practice “thinking heavenly,” we’re transported above the down and dirty parts of everyday living to the coming conclusion of our lives as believers. And that’s ok by me: closer to Jesus, closer to Nate, and closer to all of that heavenly sunshine!

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2,3)