Thoughts on heaven.

I wrote this as a facebook note about three years ago, but it seems relevant.

I don't know why, but the other side has been on my mind recently. I've been
thinking about different things at different times. My bad shoulder, where I
broke my arm when I was a kid was bothering me. As were my bad knees. As were my flat feet. As was by bad back. As was my TMJ. Boy, I have all the medical
problems of a 60 year old. Anyway, I was thinking, a lot of these problems that
I've had most of my life. I was thinking, what will my life be like when I get
to heaven? I've had constant, but slight pain my whole life. I just don't know
how my body will feel without it.

Then I've been listening to the CD "Iris to Iris" by Building 429. That got me thinking about what it will be like when we awaken after death. You wake to feel a warm, strong, gently hand cradling your head. You open your eyes to the most intense light you've ever seen. Its incomparibly brighter than the sun. Only this light doesn't hurt your eyes. Its the light that your eyes were always meant to stare at. That light is coming from a human face. You have never seen the face before, but the face is more
familar to it that even your own. It is the smiling face of Jesus. You are aware
that around you is a crowd of people gathered. Some are past family. Other are
past friends. Others are part of the "cloud of witnesses." The shining face of
Jesus speaks to you. The voice is louder than thunder, the crashing of waves, or
a roaring lion, but causes no fear, but loving reassurance as He says, "Welcome
child."

What will that by like for those outside Christ? That light will reveal
their every sin. There will be no shadow in which they can hide. That voice will
fill then with terror. They will know that Christ loves them, but they will feel
this intense self-harted for having rejected him. I hope to never know that
agony.

Keep in mind, most of this is theory. A lot of this I can't argue, it is just sort of a feeling (and if you know how much I hate feeling vs. thinking as a rational for an argument, you'll know how it pains me to admit this). St. Peter being at a pearly gate, or being surrounded by clouds isn't biblical either, if anything its anti-biblical.

I do know this, a lot of people don't understand heaven. They think you will perpetually relive the best time in your life. Nope. This world, even at its best, is imperfect. God isn't. I've also heard it described as a perpetual church service. Sounds like its designed for 60 year old women. What about for men?

Here's what I know, I serve an infinite, amazing, creative God. Why would I believe that I could hope to comprehend the scope of a heaven created by an incomprehensible God? We can't even understand our own universe. Why would we think we can better understand the afterlife?

I was asked the question if I could live in a heaven with no pain, no evil, no arguing, no death, etc., a perfect world but without God/Jesus, would I want to go there? My answer is no. What makes heaven amazing is the AWESOME God who makes it his dwelling. I can't wait to get there to spend time with God face to face. Now, I worship at a distance, pray often, and read the Bible. I talk to God, and His Spirit speaks to me. There, I will worship face to face. I will finally understand how small I am compared to Him with my own eyes, not just with deductive reason and inspiration.