In the springtime white wild roses bordered my son's house, perfuming the air with a delightful fragrance. It was his dream home, constructed from magazine-purchased plans.
Nestled in the woods, each summer the family splashed in the sparkling blue waters of the pool in the patio area. I was proud of the home Greg built for his wife and daughters.
One day, following a path from the yard to a mini hillside behind their house, Maddie and Charissa led me to their Narnia. Much like a fantasy setting from my own childhood, Narnia was a plot among the briars, brambles and bushes of their backyard.
We stayed there only briefly before the girls yelled "Here ducky, ducky," calling the fowl in a neighboring pond. To my surprise and delight, the pair of mallards flew directly toward us and landed at the girls' feet. I'd never seen anything like it!
The girls have grown now but sometimes I ponder those days and the house Greg had built with the wrap-around porch, perfectly suited for his family. I envision the gorgeous wooded surroundings and the clear blue sparkling water of the swimming pool. In my dreams I catch a whiff of the sweetly scented wild roses, feel the mist splattering off the ducks' feathers, and the rippling creek bordering the roadside.
In my enchantment, I am reminded of heaven. Jesus told us in Revelation 18: "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 "And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.
The first foundation was jasper;
the second, sapphire;
the third, a chalcedony;
the fourth, an emerald;
the fifth, sardonyx;
the sixth, sardius;
the seventh, chrysolite;
the eighth, beryl;
the ninth, a topaz;
the tenth, a chrysoprase;
the eleventh, a jacinth;
the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."
In life's moments, we bask in the beauty of life as we have known it here on earth. But God has told us that "Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow." We are like a mist that appears for a little time; then vanishes.
I am grateful for the memories of the carefree moments when Maddie and Charissa were little girls and the storybook lives we shared, but nothing on earth can compare with the beauty and joy that awaits us in heaven.
But only if we put our trust in Jesus will we spend eternity in heaven. The Bible tells us that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Only when we are willing to admit that we are sinners, and ask Jesus for forgiveness can we ever hope to see heaven.
Jesus offers us a free gift: "But as many as received him, Christ, to them He gave the right to become children of God." Jesus stands at your heart's door, knocking, waiting for you to invite Him in. When you pray, accepting God's free gift of eternal life, you have the assurance that you will one day see heaven. God's precious gift of salvation is irrevocable and everlasting, a promise of heaven with no end.
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