“What God has prepared for those who love him” (I Corinthians 2:9)
It’s a good place to eat – and shop. In fact, the minute you enter a Cracker Barrel restaurant, you walk inside a store filled with candy and reproductions, reminiscent of days gone by. It brings memories of your childhood flooding over you. So recently Reid and I ate at Cracker Barrel, and as we were checking out a woman came to the counter with her two young children. A little boy who I’m guessing was about seven, and a little girl about four. Their mother told them that they could each select something from the toy section in the corner of the store. That excited them, so I asked the little boy what he was going to get. He explained in detail a toy he obviously had his eye on earlier, then pointed in the direction of the corner of the store and said it was there. I then asked his little sister what she was going to buy, and she said to me, “I don’t know. But it’s over there.” Obviously, she was ready to purchase a toy. She didn’t know what that toy was or what it looked like, but she knew for sure where she was going to find it. I chuckled.
Later I thought of heaven. We don’t know for certain all that we are going to receive in heaven. I Corinthians 2:9 tells us that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” We are only given small hints in scripture. Hints like streets that are paved with gold, walls covered with sparkling jewels, giant pearls that make up large gates, a crystal river flowing from the throne of God, vineyards, luscious fruit, and a feast fit for the children of God. We will learn how angels fly; what happened to the Tree of life and the Ark of the Covenant; and what the Old Testament saints look like. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. Most importantly, we are told that we will see our Savior, and worship our God.
But there are also things we won’t see or experience in heaven. Things like tears, or death, or sorrow, or pain. Things we will be grateful are gone. There will be no stress, or fear, or anger. No problems, or difficulties, or trials. There will be no politicians, or evil doers, or bullies. No bad hair days, or broken bones, or children suffering. And I am personally convinced that there will be no liver in heaven.
In their much-loved and super popular song, I Can Only Imagine, Mercy Me begins with the words, I can only image what it will be like. I’m afraid that on this side of eternity all we can do is imagine. We can imagine how glorious, and beautiful, and magnificent heaven is going to be. But no matter how much we imagine and dream, no matter what we create heaven to be in our minds, I am sure the sight of heaven will blow us all away. So, for now, the only thing we can do is join my new little friend in saying, I don’t know. But it’s over there. And I can’t wait!
Darlene