My Hammock in Heaven
There are very few moments when I can not think of what to write in this wonderful blog. Today is one of those days. I took a trip to Julie's cube and she asked to write about what I think heaven will be like. Go Julie! Afterall, I am tiring of my "horse chronicles" as some say, and I am in much too good of a mood to vent (and therefore be dragged down by my ventings). So, here I am in a job I really do enjoy on a wonderful sunny spring day. We won't mention that I have to be on the phone for the rest of the day in a 6x8 cube or that after 3 hours of being on the phone I haven't talked to one person at length. No, it is too great of a day to mind-mingle on those kinds of things. Where was I? Oh, yes. Heaven.
I distinctly remember sitting in my youth group one Sunday morning. It was one of the first times we were able to meet in the new small square grey building about 50 feet uphill from the main church. We called ourselves "The Upper Room." It was so nice to have our separate building. I suppose it made me feel more independent and that the adults were not able to spy on our time and service. My youth pastor's name was Dan Serian. What a wonderful man!
It was a Sunday after a terrible plane crash. He described that the plane was having engine problems and was in a nose dive for the ocean. Since it was a large plane and was really high, it took the plane 3 minutes or so to crash into the ocean. Everyone was killed. He proceeded to turn off the lights for that three minutes and asked us imagine what it was like and how the people felt. Knowing they were going to die and thinking of loved ones for that period of time. It seemed like forever for me, I couldn't imagine what it was like for them.
I think it was that Sunday that I finally "got it." It seems (looking back) that when I was 14ish death was something we didn't need to worry about. But I am sure there were children on that plane. I am sure there were grandma's and grandpa's and moms and dads... and I suddenly understood the reason behind the alter calls each holiday. The press for VBS and Awana. I realized that not everyone "believed" that went to church, and understood why I was shipped to bible camp every summer (even though I loved camp). I just assumed everyone had the heart that I did and the parents and values that I was brought up with. It was a hard realization of my purpose in life as well as trying to adhering to the Great Commission.
I always found it difficult to bring people to The Lord through threatening death because of our definition of Heaven. I have heard numerous preachers, books, bumper stickers, etc. that have things to do with knowing where you go when you die. To be with the Heavenly Father is about the most honest and proved answer to that question. That description doesn't have that huge of a effect on someone who has never heard the story! God doesn't give us a book on Heaven and what it will be like. He gives us hints here and there, but we by no means have a tour guide with photos and maps. He leaves it up to our hearts and minds... and I love it.
The sermon that morning was one of the most memorable I have heard. "...Do you think Heaven will be reading books on clouds and be boring? This is the God that created the hippopotamus! He created waterfalls and gave us the minds to create roller coasters and 3D movies! Heaven is not going to be boring! So, you ask what it will be like? Well, my answer to that is simple: our brains are not geared to know and we have not had distinctive description of what to expect. So, don't stress about it. It will be wonderful. Let your mind think about the possibilities, but do not get wrapped up in the details of it all. We are not built to know..."
Yes, I have read scripture about Heaven. Cities of gems and no tears. No oceans (Which I tend to worry about) and not having our earthly bodies. It is fun to think about, but I think a lot of people get too wrapped up in the technicalities of it all.
Myself? I know that I am excited! I think it will be a great place. There is record of white horses in heaven, right? So one of my favorite things will be there. Hope pets make it too. But, knowing there will be no sadness if they aren't allows me to relax about it. Other brief visuals are hammocks, laughter and cherries.
Fellow readers are you there? Look what happens when I write off others ideas! What do you all think heaven will be like? Boring? Fun? Adventurous? Relaxing? Do you think we will even be able to recognize the feeling? I shall leave you with these questions and hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I distinctly remember sitting in my youth group one Sunday morning. It was one of the first times we were able to meet in the new small square grey building about 50 feet uphill from the main church. We called ourselves "The Upper Room." It was so nice to have our separate building. I suppose it made me feel more independent and that the adults were not able to spy on our time and service. My youth pastor's name was Dan Serian. What a wonderful man!
It was a Sunday after a terrible plane crash. He described that the plane was having engine problems and was in a nose dive for the ocean. Since it was a large plane and was really high, it took the plane 3 minutes or so to crash into the ocean. Everyone was killed. He proceeded to turn off the lights for that three minutes and asked us imagine what it was like and how the people felt. Knowing they were going to die and thinking of loved ones for that period of time. It seemed like forever for me, I couldn't imagine what it was like for them.
I think it was that Sunday that I finally "got it." It seems (looking back) that when I was 14ish death was something we didn't need to worry about. But I am sure there were children on that plane. I am sure there were grandma's and grandpa's and moms and dads... and I suddenly understood the reason behind the alter calls each holiday. The press for VBS and Awana. I realized that not everyone "believed" that went to church, and understood why I was shipped to bible camp every summer (even though I loved camp). I just assumed everyone had the heart that I did and the parents and values that I was brought up with. It was a hard realization of my purpose in life as well as trying to adhering to the Great Commission.
I always found it difficult to bring people to The Lord through threatening death because of our definition of Heaven. I have heard numerous preachers, books, bumper stickers, etc. that have things to do with knowing where you go when you die. To be with the Heavenly Father is about the most honest and proved answer to that question. That description doesn't have that huge of a effect on someone who has never heard the story! God doesn't give us a book on Heaven and what it will be like. He gives us hints here and there, but we by no means have a tour guide with photos and maps. He leaves it up to our hearts and minds... and I love it.
The sermon that morning was one of the most memorable I have heard. "...Do you think Heaven will be reading books on clouds and be boring? This is the God that created the hippopotamus! He created waterfalls and gave us the minds to create roller coasters and 3D movies! Heaven is not going to be boring! So, you ask what it will be like? Well, my answer to that is simple: our brains are not geared to know and we have not had distinctive description of what to expect. So, don't stress about it. It will be wonderful. Let your mind think about the possibilities, but do not get wrapped up in the details of it all. We are not built to know..."
Yes, I have read scripture about Heaven. Cities of gems and no tears. No oceans (Which I tend to worry about) and not having our earthly bodies. It is fun to think about, but I think a lot of people get too wrapped up in the technicalities of it all.
Myself? I know that I am excited! I think it will be a great place. There is record of white horses in heaven, right? So one of my favorite things will be there. Hope pets make it too. But, knowing there will be no sadness if they aren't allows me to relax about it. Other brief visuals are hammocks, laughter and cherries.
Fellow readers are you there? Look what happens when I write off others ideas! What do you all think heaven will be like? Boring? Fun? Adventurous? Relaxing? Do you think we will even be able to recognize the feeling? I shall leave you with these questions and hope you have a wonderful weekend!
posted by Nic at 10:36 AM
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