Heaven.
Streets of gold.
Gates of pearl.
A mansion with many rooms.
These are some of the things that I think of when I think of heaven. This is what we sing about when we sing songs of heaven.
But are these things what heaven is really all about?
About a week ago I started 50 days of Heaven by Randy Alcorn. He created this devotional-like read for people who want to learn more about heaven. He believes that Christ followers tend to forget about heaven, and he wants people to really understand how amazing it’s going to be. I read each entry every day during my quiet time. This Randy guy has a pretty good point.
Sometimes I do forget about heaven. I don’t really think about being there one day after I die. I’m too focused on what’s going on here to even think about it.
I forget about this mysterious place where everything will be perfect and I’ll get to see my Savior; The place where I won’t have to live in this sinful place called earth anymore.
I don’t think I’m the only one who forgets about this place. I think we all do. And I think that we forget about it because our life here on earth is pretty good. Yes, we all hit rough spots along the way and we think the world is going to end or something, but really…our life is pretty good.
So every morning as I read the day’s entry I try to think of heaven and what it will be like when I get there one day. I read it every morning trying to look forward to it.
I did that exact thing Sunday morning.
Later, I took the hike up to church, 3 other girls and I gave our testimonies and talked about how God has freed us from certain things in our lives, some of the other girls taught the younger kids, and we sang worship songs.
I get really fidgety in the long services and my mind tends to wonder…a lot.
But it snapped back to reality when they opened up the floor for people to come up and share how God is working in their life or to share something that we could all thank God for. I watched a little boy walk to the front and behind the podium. He grabbed the big, yellow microphone and began to sing. These are the words he sung:
“Let’s so down, down to the river, the river of life.
We’re going to be saved.
We’re on a highway, a highway to Heaven.
We’re going to be saved.
Sisters, come and join us.
We’re going to the river.
We’re going to be saved.
Brothers, come and join us.
We’re going to the river
We’re going to be saved.”
Heaven is where we are saved. Yes, God is with us on this earth and this is where we secure our safety in heaven, but we are still in this ugly, dangerous world; This world where we aren’t safe.
When I heard this boy sing this song I thought of the little girl at the care point we’ve been working at who said that she was scared of the man that is raping little children in the community. I think of the song that comes on the radio here that encourages people not to rape their children or their sisters or their wives or their mothers or their babies. I think of the billboards all over Swaziland that have pictures of condoms on them that say, “Don’t get HIV. Don’t pass it on.” I think of all the hungry, little mouths that come to the care point to eat every day.
And then I think of what these people must think of Heaven.
This earth is hell.
When I think of all the horrible things that go on in this world it literally makes me sick.
Then, I understand Heaven.
Heaven is a place where children don’t have to be scared at night.
Heaven is a place where women don’t have to worry about getting HIV from the man that rapes her.
Families don’t have to worry about being hungry.
They’ll be no more pain.
They’ll be no more tears.
They’ll be no more sickness.
No one has to be scared anymore.
When I think of all this and when I think of Heaven, then I understand.
And Heaven becomes the most exciting thing.
We have to tell people about Heaven and how to get there.
