The Welcoming Party
Recently I've had a beautiful image in my mind that I just needed to write out somewhere physical. This doesn't happen to me very often and especially to this extent, so I'm hoping to describe this picture here to try to capture the beauty of the image. It's times like this when I wish I was able to paint or draw, but they do say a picture is worth a thousand words so my words will hopefully do.
Not long ago I finished a book by one of my favorite authors, Karen Kingsbury. Without getting into too much detail (for fear I might spoil something for an up-and-coming reader of this book), I wanted to mention a scene from the book that had prompted this image in my mind.
A character in this book was in the act of dying and the author here writes some chapters about what might happen as the character is fighting between life and death. In the fading away to death, the character is welcomed into a beautiful field of flowers where a picnic table sits in the middle. At the table was someone from the character's life who had passed on years in advance, sitting there waiting for the character, smiling and welcoming. It was one of the most beautiful scenes I think I've ever read about. As I read this, I pondered what my vision of entering heaven might be like. Of course, none of us know but I think God at times does give us glimpses of what it might be like.
I thought about this for a while and nothing particularly came to mind until I was on a trip back to the town I grew up in. Years ago, my paternal grandmother passed away and it seems like as the years pass the more I miss her and desperately want to be able to speak with her, just to chat or ask for advice about marriage and being a boy mom (as she had 5) or discuss sermons we'd heard or books we'd read. On my trip back to my hometown, I passed the road that led to where her house was. And suddenly, I was met with this almost overcoming want to turn down that road and run as hard and fast as I could back in time. Back to a perfect summer day, and that's when it hit me... what I imagine my welcoming into heaven might look like. I think we all have this idea of heaven as gleaming bright white with nothing but gold everything. But, for me when I read this description of the character entering into heaven, I started visualizing something a lot more simple.
The most beautiful morning sunlight was casting a glow on an old, small blue house in the countryside. The house sat in a spot just cut out of tree-covered hills, which made for the most perfect backdrop. The dew was almost dry but still wet enough to be glistening a little on the grass. The air smelled fresh and birds were softly singing. A ditch was separating where I was standing from the house and across it lay a little bridge with red flooring and white railings. I walked across the bridge to the stone patio surrounding the house. I walk straight toward the porch, which had the same red flooring and white railing as the bridge with white lattice from the ground up to the flooring on the porch. I ascend up the wooden steps to see the most incredible scene. Beautiful hanging pots with flowers of red and pink are hung on the open walls of the porch. White wicker chairs with floral patterned cushions sit placed in four different spots, positioned in a way that makes them perfect for conversation. From the ceiling hangs a baby swing (which I remember so fondly from my childhood). On the back wall, there is an old white mantle with a mirror over top, and on the mantle are small knickknacks of potted flowers and dog figurines. Just in front of the mantle, a little off to the side of it is a white swing with floral cushions in the seat and up the back. And there in that swing, she sat.
My sweet grandmother whom this house belonged to on earth. Her eyes shone similar to how they always did when we would come for a visit, except she looks entirely at peace. In her lap, she held a book. Her finger stuck between its closed pages to mark her spot. In her other hand, she held another paperback book and began reaching it out toward me. "Here honey, I thought you might like this one," she said, just as if this exchange had taken place on earth the day before instead of happening many years in the past. From there, I imagine taking the book, sitting beside her, and swinging. Alternating time between reading and catching up, something my soul finds peaceful.
It's a pretty simple scene, but powerful to my soul.
I am not entirely sure why this is the scene that comes to mind when I think of entering heaven. Perhaps it's because when I look back on my childhood, this is the place I felt I could be the freest and the place where dreaming came so easily. I feel as though I was raised to look forward to mansions in heaven, but really, something like this is what my soul desires. Part of me also feels a little strange that of all my loved ones who have gone on to heaven (my own dad included), why is it my grandmother that comes to mind when I envision my welcome into heaven? I really just don't have an answer to that but to guess, I would say it's because she and I had a lot in common. As I grow older, I learn that we are even more alike than I originally thought.
I've struggled for some time now with my insanely vivid imagination, a lot of times it causes me trouble. But I read something the other day about the importance of our imaginations and how it is a blessing from God and I am beginning to see why. This picture I've imagined in my mind has given me so much peace and hope. I truly love being able to think about such things.
How do you envision your entrance into heaven?
Until next time.
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