Windows: Glimpsing the Eternal

We often go walking as a family at night, and it’s one of my favorite evening activities.  Not only do I get to visit in depth with Jon and chat with the spark plugs, but I also get to glimpse through the front windows of some of the homes we pass.  For a brief moment, I witness an ornately decorated living room; a large wedding photo prominently displayed under a spotlight; the sparseness of a minimalist ideology.  I’ve long loved home layouts, floor plans, and interior design, so I find it fascinating to see how others keep their living quarters.

Much like those front windows give me a small look inside someone else’s lifestyle, the Biblical passages on Heaven give me a sneak peek of what Eternity will some day be like.  It sounds beautiful from the descriptions:  gates of pearl; foundation layers of gemstone; purest gold so refined that it appears like glass.

Sometimes, though, I don’t like thinking about Heaven because it seems so far away, so unlike this tangible reality here on Earth.  Earth is comfortable, knowable, seeable, and believable, or at least I’ve convinced myself that it is.  Although I enjoy looking through windows, I love coming home to my own house much more.  It’s where I belong.  Daydreaming about someone else’s decorating scheme is fun for a moment, but I forget about it the moment I cross the threshold of my own front door.

After weeks or months of the comforts of Earth, however, something inevitably happens to remind me to return to Heaven’s Windows.  A long night in the Emergency Room with Turbo is plenty to bring me back to the realization that what I call home here on Earth is merely a temporary stop-gap measure until I get to spend Eternity with the Savior.  In Heaven, there won’t be the stress of sickness, financial concerns, or sadness.  There will only be the wonderfulness of being in the presence of the Almighty.

Until the day that I enter Heaven’s rest, I need to keep visiting the Windows in the Word.  They draw me out of the mundane and pull my heart toward what is very much better:  to be with Christ for all of Eternity.

Your turn:  Are you waiting for Heaven?  What are you looking forward to most?  I’d love to hear!