“Mom,” asked Sam, “Do you really think we will see dad again?”
“Yes, Sam. I do,” she quietly replied as she placed her hand on her teenaged son’s shoulder.
Sam was an only child, and his father meant everything to him. From the time he was small, his father was an active and positive influence on his life. As such, when his father became ill, it was startling to see him so weak and fragile. Watching him die was the worst, for it made Sam feel helpless. Through her tears, Sam’s mom whispered, “Death is an unfortunate part of life, Sam. God will give us strength to deal with this.”
Later that night, Mother went to check on Sam. As she sat on the edge of the bed, she began to stroke his hair. “You know, Sam, your dad loved you very much, and since the Bible says that love goes on forever, we can find comfort in that knowledge.”
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
Sam wiped a tear from his eye and turned to face his mother. “Tell me more about heaven, Mother.”
“Well, ” Mother began as she cleared her throat, “Heaven is where God is. The joy there is beyond anything we can even comprehend or imagine.”
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” -I Corinthians 2:9
Mother continued, “In heaven there is no death, sadness, sickness, or poverty.”
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be nor more pain, for the former things have passed away.” -Revelation 21:4
Sam’s eyes widened as he asked, “So, Dad will be happy and in no more pain? That is very good then!” Sam continued, “What will Dad look like in heaven?”
Mother smiled and then quoted a verse from the Bible which she remembered comforted her greatly when her own father died, “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ” -1Corinthians 15:35-44. “It is good that we be in our spiritual forms in heaven, Sam, because our physical bodies as we know them are flawed. As you are aware, flesh can become aged and diseased, and sin also affects us. I do know that we will know one another in heaven because Jesus referred to it as paradise, and what kind of paradise would it be if we couldn’t even recognize our loved ones?”
“Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” -Luke 23:43
“And don’t forget that after Christ’s death on the cross, then resurrection, although there was a little confusion with some of his friends and loved ones, most of them immediately recognized him.”
“You know, Mom,” said Sam as he placed his hand on top of hers, “It is a comfort to me to talk to you about these things. I think my sadness is more because I will miss seeing and talking with Dad, but I think I will be OK since my faith lets me know he is in a much better place: with God.”
Mother leaned over and tightly embraced Sam, “Your father would be so proud of you!”
“Thanks, Mom,” whispered Sam. “And your Father, God, would be proud of you for reminding me about my faith!”
Real life application: Our time here on earth is so short. That time also tends to go very fast as we involve ourselves in our families, career, social life and hobbies. The reality is that we do not know when sickness, disease, or unexpected accident may occur.
Do not put off a relationship with God and His son, Jesus Christ, until time of tragedy. Today is the day to create new hope and be assured through faith of your heavenly reward.
“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” -Matthew 7:21
Melanie Schurr editor@melanieschurr.com (Copyright (c)2005 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of “Ecstatic Living: A Christian marriage manual and Life-guide”, “Son Salutations” and “Daily Contemplations”, which are a collection of read-one-a-day modern inspirations. For more information, visit www.MelanieSchurr.com