Those of you who know me well know that my extended family lives almost everywhere in the states EXCEPT in Wisconsin. My grandma (mom’s mom 🙂 lives with my Aunt & Uncle in Las Vegas. I hadn’t seen grandma for four whole years, so one spontaneous afternoon a couple weeks ago, mom booked a flight for her, my sister, and me to visit grammy in Vegas! We spent three days with family and two days on the strip at the Mirage Hotel & Casino! I had my very first gambling experience and we were lucky enough to see the Cirque Beetles Love show on Saturday evening! How those people contort their bodies in mid air is beyond me, by the way.
ANYWHO. On the flight home, wedged into a window seat, I plugged in my headphones & tuned out the hustle & bustle. A little bit of motion sickness & a whole lot of Jesus ensued. My mind wandered as I looked out my little window upon the clouds. Heaven’s playground. The clouds morphed & rolled & moved about. The child in me couldn’t help but dream of jumping out of the plane onto what I can only imagine tastes just like cotton candy… but probably better (can you tell I have a sweet tooth?). I snapped a few pictures…
My heart wandered to my future days in heaven’s gates, which I like to think will be filled with endless hide and seek amongst the clouds with Jesus & friends. My body never tires. I run & scream & laugh so hard that my worldly heart would surely burst with joy. Thankfully, my heavenly heart has the capacity for inconceivably more joy & fullness than I can ever wrap my head around. We skip amongst the clouds, hand in hand. God outstretches his all-powerful arms & the sky spans into a smooth blanket, inviting us to rest. We lay upon these clouds after we’ve dashed & hid through all of heaven. Me & Jesus. Jesus & me. I rest in the arms of My Father. Not figuratively, but literally. He and I rest not with intentions of gaining enough energy to go forth with daily earthly monotony, but rather to dwell in the goodness of the Father eternally, because thats what we are made for. My rest & dwelling here have no end. I am made fully perfect & perfectly full in Jesus. Me & Jesus. Jesus & me.
My heart longs for this heavenly dwelling that I know awaits me. But for now, I will wait in the assurance that my time here isn’t finished. God’s earthly provision for me is only beginning. My soul lives here on earth, but do not be mistaken. Each hour, minute, moment is me & Jesus. Jesus & me.
[I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. We groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. In this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8]
