Hope of Heaven
We want perfection to be real.
It's a natural expression of our desire for Heaven.
I feel the longing in my bones for the eternal safety of knowing that evil is abolished forever (and that I shall never be tempted by it again!)
I ache to experience the beauty that is promised in travel photos and clothing photo shoots and perfume ads.
My mind knows that they are only marketing, but my soul recognizes that they intrinsically represent the hope of heaven.
"Let's make the world a better place."
The do-gooders and the secular humanists feel this too and stir themselves into action. It is the kindness of God that they even have such desires, and it is His mercy that they are able to accomplish anything good with what they feel is their own strength.
As I accept the inadequacy of this life and my own efforts within it, I have found that I am more able to create good experiences that mimic my desires. Let me tell you about the most recent one:
A few months ago, I was suffering from horrible anxiety with a side of obsession. Thankfully, I was able to recognize that part of my problem was a fear of scarcity and needing new pajama pants. So I went out and bought myself a pair of soft green flannel pajama pants and a couple pairs of wool socks (because if you have four of the same kind you're more likely to be able to find two!). Shortly after that, God gave me a mental image of safety.
I was sitting in a dark room of a quiet mountain lodge in front of a gentle fire on a soft leather couch in my green flannel pajama pants with my wool socks and my favorite sweatshirt. I had a cup of warm cocoa in my hand and an old zigzag crochet blanket on my lap, handmade by my great aunt from before I was born.
I have yet to sit in a mountain lodge in that exact scenario. But I have made myself hot cocoa in the evenings. And I have sat on a soft leather couch in front of a digital fire in the "living room" area of my local bowling alley. And I have savored the softness of my pajama pants and favorite sweatshirt with gratitude for God's provision.
While I don't expect to ever experience that mental image exactly as I see it on this side of heaven, God has been so kind to allow me to have a patchwork of little moments that remind me of it and stir my hope for Heaven.
His constant kindness to me is the reminder that Heaven is real. And He is real! And one day all will be set aright and the broken shall be fully made new.
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