I caught a glimpse of heaven today in the beautiful hill country of Rwanda. The morning air was crisp, yet there was still a hint of dew clinging to the air and resting on the ground. My view from the top of the hill was nothing short of breathtaking. The sun had risen in the east, and the valley below was covered in a soft blanket of fog and haze, transforming the valley into a lake of misty swirls. Behind me was the sound of shifting and shuffling feet of children, inching their way closer to the mzungu perched over the hill, their giggles and whispers carrying on the morning breeze.
Moments like these take my breath away. Remind me of how incredible our Father is, and how awesome His love.
But my real glimpse of heaven came in on the wings of a very different setting.
Imagine with me a room the size of a small gymnasium. Fill it with about three hundred people, and add about ten small windows. The room is hot, and stuffy. Body odor is the main smell clinging to the thick air. Two speakers are on the edge of a raised portion of the room. To one side, a small keyboard and a few drums, the other side, a row of plastic chairs fronted by two tables adorned with embroidered green tablecloths.
These were our seats. Set aside for special guests and visitors. This was the church we visited outside of Kigali. Hot, stuffed, but full of life.
A choir donned in shiny, embroidered yellow shirts approached the stage. They take their places as the drum begins a steady beat in the background. Bodies start to sway, smiles spread across faces. Four women proceed on stage, their colorful dresses flowing, moving with their bodies.
They dance before the King, unashamed, unrelenting. It was beautiful, to hear their voices ringing out, to feel the love resting heavily on the air. Suddenly, they jump towards us and pull us up onto the stage to dance with them.
This was my glimpse of heaven.
A moment where I saw my brothers and sisters, both black and white, dancing together before the King of Kings, and thought, “I can't wait for heaven.” But really, heaven was in that moment, too. It was true worship, true joy, true love.
We danced together that day, and the next.
I had the opportunity to speak in front of that congregation of believers, and feel God's words flow through me. It was truly humbling. Even more humbling was after I had finished speaking, a woman approached the stage. She had a basket in her hands, and the interpreter told me that the woman had a gift for me. She brought a basket, and inside, it was filled to the brim with beans.
A basket full of beans. The weight of the incredible generosity was resting in my hands, and I was blessed. Humbled, and blessed. How much was this basket of beans worth? How many people could this have fed? And yet I had to accept this offering of love, knowing it came out of true care. That was another moment I got a glimpse of heaven.
What wonderful pictures of heaven God blessed us with this past weekend. I challenge you to look for God and His glimpses of heaven that surround us each and every day. They are there, waiting to usher us into His presence.
Don't miss out. Slow down, look for, and thank Him for those pictures. They are precious blessings, and sometimes they look like dancing your heart out, and other times, they look like a basket of beans.
