Why choosing it is absolutely critical!

“What will the transition be like?” she asked me with a weak voice.  “You know, I’m scared, and I really don’t want to be alone.”  Lying on her hospital bed near the big picture window in her bedroom, Raquel turned her head a little bit and cut her eyes to take in my answer.  She was talking about dying.  You see, she wanted to know what it might be like to take her last breath here, and what would happen next.  My friend has fought a long, hard battle with cancer, and appears to be near the end.  I do not say this lightly—in fact, I do not think I have ever said it of anyone—Raquel is the most courageous person I have ever known, and at the same time, she has summoned up genuine compassion and concern for friends, family members and acquaintances, remembering to inquire about their interests and ‘goings on’.  Remarkable.

And so I read to her from Revelation 21, where John talks about that Land far away, at least to us, at least for now.  The old hymns call it Glory Land; heck, I remember singing ‘When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be…when we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!’  I love that old song.  Wasn’t just a few months ago I was singing it to my sister who was languishing in the hospital when the male nurse tending to her starting singing along with me—huh, never gets old thinking or singing about Heaven.

We spent an hour talking about Heaven, Raquel and I~

  where there is no night, 

    where we will be face to face with Jesus, 

      and he will wipe away every tear we ever cried.

        We talked about Heaven as our Home.  

I read Jesus’ words to her, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”¹

“What kind of a place do you think Jesus is preparing for you, Raquel?” 

“Oh, I don’t know…” I had a sense that she was going to respond with something amazing, so I dug to the bottom of my purse for a pen. 

“Well, what do you enjoy doing here?  I am certain you will do those things in Heaven, and so much more!” I encouraged her to think.

“I want it to be peaceful,” she sighed and continued, “people getting along and enjoying each other’s company.  Yeah, I think they will be having true and honest conversation—genuine, you know?” and she cut her eyes at me again.  “They will have freedom to be who they want to be.”  I did not ask her to elaborate on that.

In my favorite little book about Heaven,²  Anne Graham Lotz said that when she was a little girl, her vision of Heaven was framed by her mother’s assurance that ‘whatever was necessary for her eternal happiness would be there.’  I located those lines in Lotz’ book, and read them to Raquel.  “So, what would you need for your eternal happiness, Raquel—you know, besides your family?” 

“Oh that’s easy—I mean, I know there is controversy about this—but I want my dogs with me in Heaven.” She has two adorable dogs that think that my visits are just to see them, not their mama!  (-a miniature Yorkie named Winston, and a Lhasa apso mix named Chuey)  So, what do I think?  I think she’ll have her dogs.³  God delights in giving his children good gifts.⁴

Once she got going on the subject, she had more to say:  “I want to ride my bike again, take lots of pictures, and garden.  I used to love gardening and cooking.  And oh, I love the beach!”  She actually got excited talking about the beach and her love of Kauai—about the different beaches and towns around the garden isle of Hawaii.

“So Raquel, besides seeing Jesus, in Heaven ~ know this:

    there will be no sickness,

      there will be no chemo,

        there will be no sorrow,

          there will never be loneliness,

            you will always know you’re welcome and wanted,

              and you will know what it is like to finally be Home.”

All of these thoughts comforted her, and quieted fears as well.  We talked about the great beauty of Heaven--the 12 gates of pearl⁵, and the 12 foundations, decorated with beautiful precious stones.  In fact, the last stone recorded in Revelation 21 is amethyst, which is probably the closest to her favorite color, purple.  These precious stones reflect off liquid-like golden streets which make Heaven a beautiful place of light and shimmering, alive color!

Daily I am aware of and so grateful of the wonders of God’s vast and varied creation, from little birds to crashing waves to many-petaled roses to little children to the sound of the wind in the trees in the mountains.  It is true that Nature sings of God, you know.  And yet, Heaven is more beautiful than the most beautiful ocean, the white-topped trees that are staggered on snow-covered mountains, the variegated striations of Asiatic lilies, and it is a real place with real dimensions.  It is a place where our Lord has gone ahead to prepare for she who has chosen to walk the narrow path, who has chosen to build her house on the rock.⁶

As I keep thinking about and praying for Raquel, the thought comes like a wave crashing in my mind over and over—we choose to walk the narrow path because we know where it ends—with Jesus forever. 

1 – John 14.1-3, NKJV; 2 – Heaven: My Father’s House by Anne Graham Lotz

3 – Have you read Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo?  Hint:  Dogs

4 – Matthew 7.11;    5 - Revelation 21 again; 6 – Matthew 7.24-27