How Real It Is!
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
A year or two ago, I had a dream that has come to my mind many times since. I dreamed I heard the Trumpet sound, and suddenly I was entering a place
so bright that I could not see. I knew I was entering Heaven, and I was overwhelmed with the feeling of the presence of God. At that point I began,
rather unwillingly, to awake. As I lay there, I thought of Heaven and a realization came to me—one I had somehow missed before: in Heaven,
the presence of God will be there in a way we cannot even comprehend here on earth!
Do we comfort one another with thoughts of Heaven? Is it a real hope for us, or just a thought of some faraway place for some far off time? We make
plans for vacations, and we save our money, and pack our bags. The anticipation is great, and we constantly refer to our upcoming trip. It is real
to us. How much more real should Heaven be to us? The Trumpet will sound someday, and we could enter through those pearly gates even before we
arrive at our next-planned adventure.
The Bible encourages us to think on things that are pure, true, and lovely. Can you think of anything lovelier than Heaven? Think about what it will
be like to actually walk on streets of gold! Talk about what our mansions might look like! Imagine how wonderful it will be to meet loved ones
and heroes of the faith and to feel the joy bubble up inside of us when we finally meet Jesus—face to face! These are good and lovely things
to think on. They are not just daydreams, but will some day be a reality. In fact, if we spend much time dwelling on them, we might even get a
little homesick—but that is all right! We can let that spur us on to review our reservations and make sure we are prepared for our Heaven-bound
flight.