This weekend we pause to remember the friends and family who lived a faithful life, fought the good fight here on earth, and now rest peacefully in the loving arms of their Savior. We've read of the Saints that have entered heaven's gates since the beginning of time, but none as extraordinary as Elijah being swept there in a whirlwind. The travel guide, the Bible, details the "ticket" we need in order to gain admission to this eternal home, but it doesn't include photos of what the place looks like or even first person accounts of what goes on there. Numerous legends exist of what the day to day activities are, and some artists have even tried to capture its glory. If given an opportunity to either sketch your visualization of heaven or to write about what you might see, it would be safe to assume that we would have as many different visions of this eternal place as there are pictures or written descriptions. No two would be exactly alike.

I remember being in either third or fourth grade, and my teacher commenting that he hoped there would be lots of ice cream as we were talking about our vision of heaven. If an abundance of foods we're fond of here on earth is present in heaven, then I'm hoping for peanut M&M's! I wouldn't be surprised though, that our earthly desires will vanish as we stand in awe of the splendor and majesty before us.

Of all of the places I have traveled to, I anticipate that the breathtaking scenery found here on earth will pale in comparison to God's handiwork in our final resting place. We read in Revelation 21 that heaven has streets paved in gold and precious stones are used abundantly to decorate the city. I suspect our dreams fail to capture the wondrous beauty of heaven.

I wonder if Lazarus was bummed over hearing the voice of Jesus (John 11: 38-44) calling him to come out of the tomb. Can you imagine the conflicting emotions he may have had, leaving Paradise after four days of being in the presence of God to once again live on earth with his sisters and other friends? We never hear of the witness he undoubtedly was or the first hand account of what he had experienced, but I'm confident he was looking forward to the return trip.

The "ticket" to heaven is the faith we have in Christ as our Redeemer. That is what all of the dearly departed Saints who are now in the presence of Christ placed their trust in. This is what I pray you also place your hope in.

Heaven, a place I long to be, the ultimate favorite vacation spot, is a destination open to all... let's work together to share the message of Christ so others will also look forward to eternity with Jesus.

Enjoying the ride,

Jane