Glimpse of Heaven
The other day I
was walking to my car in a Dollar Tree parking lot, when I heard the wailing
cry of a newborn baby. The cry was so pitiful, my heart felt sorry for
this innocent little thing, and I found myself thinking, "It's ok baby.
I'm sorry this life is so tough." The revelation hit me that a
newborn baby's cry gives us a good depiction of the fallen world we live in.
Most babies spend the beginning of their lives in the comforts of their mother's womb. It's warm and cozy and safe. But as soon as that little baby enters into this world, what happens? They cry. They are immediately hit with the cold hard truth that we live in a fallen world. We no longer live in the garden of paradise. Life is hard and uncomfortable. Bad things happen to good people. We experience pain and loss and brokenness. Is there any good, any hope in this life? Is it possible to glimpse pieces of heaven here on Earth?
I think yes. In fact, I am confident of this. A perfect example of hope in the midst of bad things happening to good people lies in the life of Jesus. He didn't deserve any of the treatment that He received. His life here was short. He experienced this fallen world in ways that most of us never will. Talk about being met with the cold hard truth, He left paradise and took His first breaths in a stinky manger and His last breaths suffocating on a cross. He was disliked, publicly humiliated, and rejected.
On the other hand, He showed us how we can glimpse Heaven here on Earth even in the midst of the chaos and turmoil. I believe Heaven comes to Earth more often than we think.
Miracles are an obvious example. Jesus performed miracles and yes, He is God, but the disciples performed miracles too. Jesus tells us, "Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works than these" (John 14:12). When we have faith, we will see miracles.
We can catch a glimpse of Heaven within relationships. Jesus loved well and experienced fellowship with people in a way that marked people's lives enough that they were willing to die terrible deaths to defend Him. Have you ever had a moment that you met someone and it felt like a divine appointment?
Looking at creation we can see God’s original design for creatures and nature. It’s remarkable and beautiful. So intricate and perfectly designed. Another glimpse of heaven.
The arts are, of course, a big one for me. The beauty and the stillness that comes when you listen to an acapella group sing our national anthem. The chills that go down your body when you watch a dance performed with excellence and heart. Or the involuntary tears that come when the notes of a cello touch your soul. The arts have a way of bypassing the mind and cutting straight to your heart where God can speak in His still small voice.
Jesus saw the world through the eyes of the Father, a heavenly perspective that can always see the beauty amongst the ashes.
So how can we experience Heaven here on Earth? By looking at the world through God's perspective. By being thankful in all circumstances and looking for the beauty that is hiding somewhere in the midst of the chaos. God will be glorified in all things, through the good and somehow through the bad. Remember, He already has the victory. When we thank God in the midst of the storm, we receive new heavenly lenses that open our eyes to see the beauty that is actually all around us, and again we regain the awe and wonder of our mighty Creator. We, as people of faith, look for and anticipate the revealing of God's glory that will break through the clouds of the most terrible storms. He uses all circumstances, good and bad, to speak to us, teach us, stretch us, and refine us. No situation is just for the sake of pain and suffering. He uses every opportunity for His glory to be revealed and for our good when we are seeking Him. Don't miss what it is that He is doing in every situation. If you pay attention, you will most definitely catch a glimpse of heaven.
Most babies spend the beginning of their lives in the comforts of their mother's womb. It's warm and cozy and safe. But as soon as that little baby enters into this world, what happens? They cry. They are immediately hit with the cold hard truth that we live in a fallen world. We no longer live in the garden of paradise. Life is hard and uncomfortable. Bad things happen to good people. We experience pain and loss and brokenness. Is there any good, any hope in this life? Is it possible to glimpse pieces of heaven here on Earth?
I think yes. In fact, I am confident of this. A perfect example of hope in the midst of bad things happening to good people lies in the life of Jesus. He didn't deserve any of the treatment that He received. His life here was short. He experienced this fallen world in ways that most of us never will. Talk about being met with the cold hard truth, He left paradise and took His first breaths in a stinky manger and His last breaths suffocating on a cross. He was disliked, publicly humiliated, and rejected.
On the other hand, He showed us how we can glimpse Heaven here on Earth even in the midst of the chaos and turmoil. I believe Heaven comes to Earth more often than we think.
Miracles are an obvious example. Jesus performed miracles and yes, He is God, but the disciples performed miracles too. Jesus tells us, "Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works than these" (John 14:12). When we have faith, we will see miracles.
We can catch a glimpse of Heaven within relationships. Jesus loved well and experienced fellowship with people in a way that marked people's lives enough that they were willing to die terrible deaths to defend Him. Have you ever had a moment that you met someone and it felt like a divine appointment?
Looking at creation we can see God’s original design for creatures and nature. It’s remarkable and beautiful. So intricate and perfectly designed. Another glimpse of heaven.
The arts are, of course, a big one for me. The beauty and the stillness that comes when you listen to an acapella group sing our national anthem. The chills that go down your body when you watch a dance performed with excellence and heart. Or the involuntary tears that come when the notes of a cello touch your soul. The arts have a way of bypassing the mind and cutting straight to your heart where God can speak in His still small voice.
Jesus saw the world through the eyes of the Father, a heavenly perspective that can always see the beauty amongst the ashes.
So how can we experience Heaven here on Earth? By looking at the world through God's perspective. By being thankful in all circumstances and looking for the beauty that is hiding somewhere in the midst of the chaos. God will be glorified in all things, through the good and somehow through the bad. Remember, He already has the victory. When we thank God in the midst of the storm, we receive new heavenly lenses that open our eyes to see the beauty that is actually all around us, and again we regain the awe and wonder of our mighty Creator. We, as people of faith, look for and anticipate the revealing of God's glory that will break through the clouds of the most terrible storms. He uses all circumstances, good and bad, to speak to us, teach us, stretch us, and refine us. No situation is just for the sake of pain and suffering. He uses every opportunity for His glory to be revealed and for our good when we are seeking Him. Don't miss what it is that He is doing in every situation. If you pay attention, you will most definitely catch a glimpse of heaven.
Photo By: Jan Viana
Thank you for sharing Emily!
ReplyDelete-Hannah U