Heaven

As a young child, I never understood the appeal of heaven, other than the fact it wasn’t hell. Heaven, honestly, seemed quite boring and very bright, not very exciting at all.... And then I grew up. I grew up and faced the challenge of dealing with the unknown, the stubbornness of human foolishness, the pain of struggling with my flaws, and the fear of uncertainty. I witnessed the finality of death and the toll death exacts on the living. I bore the burden of people’s lives, their joys and sorrows and fears and I learned of the poverty and violence and greed that wrought the world’s population. I discovered the guilt, shame, loneliness, and hate that grips people in their unflinching hold. 

Then, I understood the hope of heaven. Freedom from pain and fear, from death and sorrow. Hope that in the end, everything was really going to be okay, that bearing through the trials of this world meant something, that there could be a time when life wouldn’t be so hard anymore, but full of joy and prospering and peace. 

Now, I can say with joy and anticipation that I am heaven-bound, that I believe in a God who makes all things new. And despite all the struggles of this current age, I live with the peace of heaven settling my breaking heart with life.


EDIT 20120311:
"I don't believe in God because I want to go to heaven; rather, I want to go to heaven because I believe in God."