Some days I wonder what heaven will be like. I try to compare it to the things I know and understand. Will there be animals and mountains and chocolate?
The Bible doesn’t tell me all the details, but it does tell me that it will be wonderful, and that Jesus will be there with me. It will be fantastically marvelous beyond my comprehension.
My Cat’s Adventures
This reminds me of my cat, Midnight’s recent adventures.
Midnight is a sweet and social kitty. He’s getting older now, so he sleeps more often, but that hasn’t stopped him.
Because we live in a city with a busy road nearby and a bylaw against outdoor cats, he is an indoor cat.
Recently he has seemed restless as though itching for some adventure. He is eager for new places to explore, which perhaps is understandable since he’s lived in the same house from when we got him as a kitten.
With Covid-19 causing me to spend more time at home, and with the warmer days of spring summoning me to the backyard, I decided to give Midnight an adventure.
I scooped him up – he rather enjoys being carried – and took him outside. I held him on my lap as I sat on the deck.
Midnight looked around eagerly. He sniffed the fresh air, then stared at the green grass. He wiggled for me to let him go explore, but I held onto him. He was an indoor cat, after all. I had no idea what he’d do if I let go.
A few days later I took him out again, and then again.
Sensing his eager desire to explore more and walk around on his own feet, rather than in my arms, I dug up an old leash we had. Many years ago we’d tried putting it on him, but he greatly disliked it. This time, however, he seemed only mildly irritated. As soon as the door opened, he entirely forgot about having the harness on.
Eagerly he moved forward. He felt the warmth of the sunny deck under his paws and the cool of the grass. He spent many long minutes smelling the lilac leaves and the patches of dirt. He felt the wind ruffle his fur. He saw the blue sky overhead.
Its A Whole New World
Sure, he had looked out the window at this very yard countless times. He’d even sat by the screen door sniffing all the thrilling and fascinating smells that wafted in.
Still, no amount of staring out the window or sniffing the breeze could have prepared him for the grandeur of the outside world.
He didn’t want to come back inside. He didn’t want to leave the new world he’d discovered.
The next day I took him out again.
Again he explored eagerly and drank his fill of the wonders around him. He felt the dampness of the morning dew and the warmth of the sun on his fur. He walked the length of the yard several times and still hadn’t had enough.
I have taken him outside many times since. The more of the outdoors he tastes, the more earnestly he longs to experience it. Now he will meow and paw at us begging to be taken outside. If he hears a door open, he hurries to try to slip out. He paws at the screen of the window. He even comes for the leash to be put on
Heaven Will Be Grand
I believe there is a picture here for me to see.
Heaven will be so grand and new and spectacular that nothing I now know compares with it!
Just as Midnight got to peer through the windows at the outside world, I sometimes get glimpses of what heaven will be like. Indeed there are days when I get a whiff of the scent of heaven.
None of this, however, can fully prepare me for how indescribably brilliant heaven will be!
What Does The Bible Say About Heaven?
The Bible does give me a few hints as to what heaven will be.
In Revelation 21:4 we read:
“[God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” (CSB)
Can I fathom a life without pain, grief, or crying? No. How truly wonderful it will be!
Paul, who suffered incredibly in his life here on earth said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” (Rom. 8:18 CSB)
Heaven will be so marvellous!
Just as my cat, Midnight, could not grasp the excitement and fascination of being outside until he finally got to experience it for himself, likewise, heaven will be so much greater than our wildest dreams. Our life here on earth does not give us a foundation from which to grasp the greatness of heaven. It is simply beyond our comprehension.
Billy Graham Quotes About Heaven
I love the words of Billy Graham:
“Only in heaven will we know exactly what heaven is like.”
“Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! I shall be more alive then than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.”
“The most thrilling thing about heaven is that Jesus Christ will be there. I will see Him face to face. Jesus Christ will meet us at the end of life’s journey.”
Because of this hope laid up for me in heaven (Col. 1:5), I make it my aim to keep pressing into Jesus, to know, love, and obey Him more and more each day. Then one day, I will join Him in heaven. What a glorious day that will be!
About The Author
S. J. Little has always enjoyed stories. Even from a young age she wrote short stories about her teddy bears. Each bear was named and given a role in her “Teddy Bear Daycare”.
At about age 12, she began working on longer stories and has continued ever since. As of spring 2020, she does not have any published books, but hopes that will change in the near future.
