Heaven—you’re Gonna Like It

His tone was matter-of-fact, as though he were describing something as real and familiar as the town fire station. Daniel and Gloria exchanged looks and a surreal feeling washed over me. By then I was used to hearing Colton talk about heaven. But now he had become a messenger, a tiny tour guide for a departing heavenly traveler.

—HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, 119

Todd

We all want to go to heaven. Someday. Just not today. At least that’s what many popular songs say today on the radio airwaves. Sometimes I listen to country music, and I’ve noticed there’s a popular song Kenny Chesney sings, “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Go Now.” I don’t care what genre you listen to, though, you’ve probably heard a song that carries the same message.

Colton is the exception to this general idea of wanting to go to heaven someday. One of the most amazing things about him is the steady, unshakable hope he carries with him. This is one kid who would like to go back to heaven now.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up thinking, Yeah, heaven’s a good place, and I want to go there. But to be honest, I couldn’t get too excited about the traditional view that we’d live in mansions and walk on streets paved with gold. Probably like a lot of people, I wondered, Will we play harps and float on clouds all day, or what? I knew that being with Jesus throughout eternity would be a wonderful thing, but frankly, I just couldn’t grasp how wonderful it could be. It just seemed too huge an idea to understand.

Then my son came back from heaven with such strong eagerness to go back that he lost all fear of death.

What does that tell you?

If a little kid feels that way, you just know heaven has to be fun. And if it’s that appealing to a kid, what will it be like for adults? For everyone?

I think it means heaven will be custom-made for me. And for you. It won’t be a place where we sit around all day and sing “Kumbaya” (unless maybe you like the idea of sitting around all day and singing it). It’ll be a place that’s interesting, engaging, and amazing. It’s hard to think of words to describe how it’s surely going to feel.

Most of all, I think, in heaven we’ll feel secure. Forever. We’ll be with Jesus, the all-powerful King, and we won’t have to lock the doors or set a security alarm. We won’t have to worry about getting cancer or diabetes. We won’t ever be betrayed by a loved one, attacked by an assailant, or run over by a car. We’ll be safe from all harm.

We’ll also be productive. Since Colton was given homework while he was in heaven, he assures me all of us will be assigned a job to do, something we enjoy. Our work there will reward us with sense of purpose, productivity, and accomplishment.

Most of all, in heaven we’ll feel loved. Colton tells me, “Dad, in heaven, you can just feel God’s love all the time.”

As a pastor, I’ve seen a lot of people who’ve shown an eagerness for heaven. But almost all of them were suffering and longed for death to bring relief from their misery and pain. Maybe it was cancer. Maybe loneliness. Maybe old age or dementia. All these sufferers wanted something better, and they looked forward to heaven as a place where their suffering or sadness would end.

What I saw in Colton when he was four, and what I’m still seeing in him now that he’s a teenager, is a completely different kind of anticipation. His life right now, for the most part, is pretty good. But he still longs for heaven.

Fortunately, dads can learn from their kids. Absorbing all the information about heaven I’ve learned from Colton, I now long for heaven more eagerly too. What about you?

Another song that’s good to listen to when troubles weigh you down is Carrie Underwood’s “This Is My Temporary Home.”

I want to leave this life and be with Christ, which is much better, but you need me here in my body.

—Philippians 1:23–24 NCV