The other night my 19 year old son and I were struggling. It comes without warning. You think you’re doing well, and then something reminds you of Grant, and you’re immediately overwhelmed with sadness, grief, longing. We cried, we shared memories, things we missed, moments we wanted to do over, and all of the things that we would never get to do with Grant. But as I was drying my eyes, and before the conversation turned to lighter discourse, he looked at me and said, “Yeah, but then there’s Heaven.”
I was so struck by that. I kept playing it over and over in my mind that night as I lay in bed. It was so simple and yet at the same time so profound. Every trial that we face here on Earth can instantly be put into proper perspective in light of that statement. That in no way means that there is not suffering, and pain. Losing Grant, has been devastating and the pain has been absolutely indescribable. But even that, in light of Heaven, an eternity filled with the glory of God, makes everything we suffer here on Earth, a momentary affliction in comparison.
I know that seems hard to believe. It’s hard for me to believe it, to even write it. But I think that’s because I really don’t comprehend how amazing, how incredibly glorious, how unimaginably awesome Heaven is going to be. God knows my suffering. He has counted every one of my tears, and yours. He knows every tear that has ever fallen, resulting from every dark, gruesome trial of mankind. And yet, He inspired Paul, to pen this…
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
God was well aware of the cosmic grief of all mankind throughout history, when he had Paul put these words to paper. And yet, if we compare those tears, all of that suffering, all of the countless broken hearts, to Heaven, our earthly trials will pale in comparison to the glory of an eternity with God. So this life will have tears, suffering, sadness, and pain, sometimes in unimaginable measure; “But then there’s Heaven!”
grieving with hope 
Alisa once again thank you for being so honest in your sharing. It is opening my eyes to how I need to allow myself to be transparent in order to continue growing in Christ and lead others to Him. We had a wonderful weekend of celebrating my niece as she married her best friend. It has caused a lot of deep thought on my part, realizing as her Aunt how I need to be praying diligently for she and her new husband. As I was reading Jeremy’s twitter I realized he’s experiencing some of those same thoughts as I am. He shared I John 1:6-7 (Message) –
“If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark,
we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light,
God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed
blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.”
Wow! What a challenge to us as believers in Christ. You are grasping, learning and tucking so many truths into you heart that I’m excited beyond words to be walking this path alongside you.
At my nieces wedding we sang “In Christ Alone” by Keith and Krystyn Getty and the last two verses hit me so hard. I still am crying everytime I hear or see these words! Do I really mean all this – you betcha, then I have to live it and share it until Christ returns.
“There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain; Then bursting forth in
glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, Sin’s curse has lost its
grip on me; For I am His and He is mine— Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
“No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the pow’r of Christ in me; From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny. No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His
hand; Till He returns or calls me home Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.
Just some words of encouragement for you and Glenn my dear friends. Love you and pray for you daily (more than once a day too!!!). God is doing a mighty work in both your lives and mine and for that I am so thankful. Thankful that NOTHING can ever pluck me from His hand – He has commanded my destiny. So with that…….But then there’s Heaven!!!! PTL! Love you!
Love that song…and it means so much to us. For it’s rich truth filled lyrics, and because we sang that at Mark & Brie’s wedding as well. Love you precious friend ❤
Awesome!!!!!!