::Heaven::

Have you ever thought what Heaven must be like?  Seriously.  We have so many beautiful things to enjoy here in nature that have been given to us by God.

Here's a list off the top of my head of things that I have enjoyed:

--beautiful, white, warm sand--
--peonies in full bloom--
--any flower in full bloom--
--the ocean, lake, or any natural body of water--
--green, green grass--
--brilliant blue skies--
--fresh, fuzzy peaches--
--white, puffy, fluffy clouds--
--warm vegetables straight out of the garden--
--birds, nests, and fresh little babes--
--the smell of the ocean--
--the smell of flowers--

etc, etc

So, if this wicked, sinful, decaying earth is so beautiful and enjoyable, how much more infinitely beautiful is perfect, sinless Heaven where the SON of God resides?

I heard or read an illustration once about Heaven.  What if there was a little bird who lived in a rusty, old cage.  The bird was perfectly content in the cage.  But one day, it was given the freedom to enjoy the whole beauty of a forest.  But instead, the little bird wanted to remain in the cage.  That would be silly!

What a perfect illustration of us here on earth.  We're so concerned about our rusty, old cage.  Our garages, attics, barns, closets, storage units, and registries are full of STUFF...junk, really, when compared to the big, beautiful forest that awaits us.

During this whole remodeling process {that's almost complete}, I have been so concerned about the amount of things that we have.  And I wouldn't necessarily consider our family big spenders.  We don't go out shopping every single weekend.  It's amazing, though, how things accumulate.  I guess I get frustrated, too, when I clean people's houses and how the unsaved cling to things.  It is such a frustration.  But because they have no eternal hope, they cling to the things they can see which is junk.

I envy {in a good way} Rachel, who is moving to Africa with her family.  I'm sure they'll have everything they'll need and even want.  But to cleanse out a house and to live with a whole lot less on a mission field sounds so appealing right now.

One more illustration.  And this illustration is straight out of the memory and not 100% accurate but I'll give it a shot.  A pastor came and gave a sermon during chapel while I was in college.  He told of a sermon that his pastor would tell about Heaven.  This sermon had something to do with a trumpet call at the coming of Christ.  At the close of the sermon, he would always have someone blow a trumpet for effect to get the point of the sermon across.  Well, this pastor told this same sermon on a mission field {I think it was Haiti}.  At the end of the sermon, a trumpet was blown for effect but the response between the people on the mission field and the people in America was vastly different.  The people on the mission field all stood as one with their arms raised and shouting.  Christ had returned!  When they realized the sound of the trumpet was simply a part of the sermon, there was weeping because their hopes were dashed.

It's just a clear picture of how we Americans are so attached to a rusty, old cage.

{PS--I guess I've learned through this whole remodeling process that if I'm not willing to give up something, then...."Houston, we have a problem!"}