Joy pulsated through me as I looked around, and at that moment I became aware of a large crowd of people. They stood in front of a brilliant, ornate gate. I have no idea how far away they were; such things as distance didn't matter. As the crowd rushed toward me, I didn't see Jesus, but I did see people I had known . . . their presence seemed absolutely natural.
They rushed toward me, and every person was smiling, shouting, and praising God. Although no one said so, intuitively I knew they were my celestial welcoming committee. It was as if they had all gathered just outside heaven's gate, waiting for me . . .
. . . and as I stared into his face, an ecstatic bliss overwhelmed me. I didn't think about his . . . death, because I couldn't get past the joy of our reunion. How either of us reached heaven seemed irrelevant . . .
. . .When I attended his funeral, I wondered if I would ever stop crying. I couldn't understand why God had taken [him]. Through the years since then, I had never been able to forget the pain and sense of loss. Not that I thought of him all the time, but when I did, sadness came over me.
Now I saw [him] in heaven. As he slipped [his hand in mine], my pain and grief vanished. Never had I seen [him] smile so brightly. I still didn't know why, but the joyousness of the place wiped away any questions. Everything felt blissful. Perfect . . .
~from 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
No comments:
Post a Comment