Glorious New Clothes

We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

2 Corinthians 5:1-3, NIV

Every day I feel like a brand-new mother. Every stage is new when you only have one child and have not passed this way before. Sometimes I can be too conscientious for my own good or for my family’s. I want to do it right, but many times I am not sure just what to do or say in certain circumstances. One thing I have learned over the years is that the truth is always a great place to start.

When our daughter was five, we had to go to our first family funeral. As an inexperienced mother, I was anxious about how to prepare her for the receiving line, the casket, the tears, and the grave. I told her the truth: We would see her great-grandmother in a casket, but it was her body, a shell. Her spirit was in heaven with Jesus, and she would never cry again or have pain. We would see her again when we go to heaven!

Like any curious five-year-old, Kali wanted to touch her great-grandmother when we went for the visitation. Later, on the way home, she said, “Mommy, why did Grandmommy Newlen have her clothes on?”

I was so afraid I had ruined her for life by taking her, and I wanted to pass over her question quickly. I simply said, “She just needed to be modest,” knowing full well that Kali did not know what the word modest meant.

The next day, out of sheer curiosity, I asked her why she had asked me that question. She said, “Because Mommy, when you go to heaven you get new clothes, and she needs to be ‘nekkid’ to get them on. I can’t wait to see Grandmommy Newlen in her glorious new clothes!” Glorious? What a wonderful surprise word to hear from the mouth of a babe. I’m sure it brought glory to God.

Casket closed!

Have some fun today imagining what your heavenly clothing will look like. The possibilities are endless. No more worrying about what we are going to wear. It will be glorious!