I
have a friend I love to visit. Every once in a while, I’ll drop my son off at
school and then go spend the day with her. We have loads of fun. Because her
husband is in the military, she has moved all over the world, but we’ve always
seemed to find each other again. Sometimes it would be years in-between
conversations, but somehow we would find a phone number and then pick up right
where we left off.
My friend and I have been through a lot together.
When we first met we were both newlyweds living in a foreign country, so you
can imagine the fun we had and trouble we got into. We experienced our first
pregnancies together, and all the joys that follow; the swollen bellies, the
insatiable cravings (one time she and I ate an entire pumpkin pie-at one sitting),
and breast feeding (there’s a funny story there, but for modesty sake I won’t
tell it). We’ve also shared some sadness.
Tears will sometimes act as binding agent, solidifying the relationship.
Now, because of where her husband is stationed, and
because of God’s goodness, my friend lives closer to me than she ever has
before. We laugh, talk about our husbands (laugh some more), compare the health
of our aging parents, talk about our teenage daughters, watch silly youtube
videos, discuss God’s portrayal in The
Lord of the Rings, drink coffee, plan future camping adventures, and
basically have fun. Oh, and we always eat. The last time I was with her she fed
me venison and beaver. There’s only
one problem I have when I go to her house; it’s time. I don’t understand it,
but it seems like I’m only at her house for a few minutes and then it’s time
for me to leave. I’ll look at the clock and it will tell me that I have been
with her for five hours, but I can’t believe it. How in the world can time fly so
fast? It must be because even when we are being serious, or even quiet, we are
still having loads of fun.
I said all that to say, I believe Heaven’s going to
be like that. I think we’ll see old friends we haven’t seen in years, and we’ll
pick up just where we left off. I think we’ll laugh with joy we never thought
possible. We won’t ever cry, but the eating will go on forever (I have no doubt
there will be pumpkin pie in Heaven). I think we’ll be so content, so happy,
that time will disappear. I think we’ll be there years and it will have felt
like a whisper. I can’t wait!
We may have difficulties here on Earth, we may have
some pain and heartache, but we also have a hope. God uses the good times, the
peaceful times, the exciting times, the really really fun times, to give us a
glimpse into our future. We don’t have the mental capacity to take it all in,
so He shows us bits and pieces. Eternity with Him will be an afternoon spent
with our best friend, with no clock on the wall. And that makes what we’re
going through down here seem almost trivial, and certainly worth it. Now, if
you’ll excuse me, The Lord of the Rings
is coming on and I’ve got to call my friend.
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