A Glimpse of Heaven

When in the seminary a good number of years back, a professor suggested to us that we look for God in everyday life. Sometimes it was easy to see God in the everyday activities of life. In seeing a double rainbow or that first rose in late spring, or the radiance of a mother looking at her new born child. On the other hand, there were difficult days when we struggled and found none. Not that you aren’t looking. But some days . . . You know what I mean.
In those years, we found that life does present us from time to time with wonderful, meaningful inspiration to a life that was and is too busy. And sometimes, it just didn’t come easy, or at all. Over time I guess we have all forgotten how to look for God in our day. It became part of our past and part of an exercise we slowly forgot about. After all, just like everyone else, life gets in the way and time goes by so quickly.
That is until something brings you back and you get to see a glimpse of heaven just like I did this past week.
We had gone to the Tampa airport to pick up a friend who was coming in on sunny warm afternoon. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary there. People coming and going. Joy in the arrivals and a few tears in the departing. We were looking just like all the others for that familiar face. It was then that I noticed a family standing inconspicuously off to the back and side of the arrivals gate. They were no different or especially more noticeable then any of the other families. And like the rest of us, they just stood there waiting for that familiar face and quietly talking to one another.
Until . . . Until one of them saw the face they were looking for. Hesitant at first they moved toward the gate, increasing their speed as they got closer and closer. It was then that I saw for the first time the focus of their attention. It was an embrace seldom seen. Wrapped in each others arms, they held each other for the longest time. Much longer then most. As they stood there, they buried their faces in the neck of the other. It seemed like they didn’t even care about anything else around them. Almost as if on cue, another one of the family stepped forward and repeated the same scenario. Then another and another. Yes there were tears. Yes there were looks that told me their minds must have been saying, “it’s really you, you’re really here.”
The glimpse of God was realizing we will all experience the same home coming. One day, we will make our journey. We will arrive, not knowing who will be there to greet us. Then, then we will see His face. Our Lord will step forward first. Embracing us in His loving arms, allowing us to bury our faces in his robe. He will hold us for the longest time. All the time we need. Then we feel and hear His voice say to us, “You’re really here, welcome home my good and faithful servant.”
Something to think about
Rob