Beyond little earth

For obvious reasons my mind is more consumed with heaven than ever before. What must it be like? What will we see and experience there? I love the bible verse in Romans 1:20. It says, " For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." What things in your mind leave you breathless when you see them? For me it's the brilliant colors in a rainbow, a sunrise, sunset or the contrasting light and shadows at dusk. ‎The soft sweetness of a baby's lips. The majesty of mountain peaks rising up from a deep valley gorge in between. A vast ocean that stretches so far beyond the shoreline that the horizon gets lost. The stillness and beauty of a woodland dripping with pieces of light through the canopy above. A sky filled with a constantly changing canvas of day and night and stars and sun and clouds. I feel like these wonders are glimpses God gives us into the indescribable perfection of heaven. I find myself more tuned into seeking out and exploring those times in God's creation, seeking to know Him better through the beauty He created.

Yesterday, church friends of Grace's gathered to paint rocks to have put in her memorial garden. They shared memories of her while painting the rocks, and after the meeting they came outside and encountered a rainbow. We saw it too! There's a picture of it below- the view from our living room window. Rainbows. A prism of color that happens at the point where storms and sunlight meet. Where life and God meet. Those kids at church saw the significance of a rainbow after time spent thinking about their friend. So did many others. Several people sent me pictures of rainbows yesterday, saying they remembered.... that thanks to rainbows they always would.

I think I mentioned this book before, but it was given to me to read not long ago and I loved it so much. It's called "Heaven is for Real", by Todd Burpo. Pick it up if you can. It's an easy read, but spoke to my heart in such a profound way because it's about a little boys experiences in heaven. It's not the bible, and for that reason needs to be read with that in mind.... but it was such a beautiful account that brought me such joy thinking about what Grace must be experiencing in her new reality. To be surrounded by our earthly glimpses of God's splendor all the time. Hollywood depicts heaven as white and peaceful. I suspect it is more colorful than anything our minds can fully conceive. The bible supports that too. Streets of gold, a crystal sea, comparing heavenly colors to rainbows, emeralds and sapphires. It's gonna be so good!

I'm off to work on Grace's Garden today getting help from my uncle and hubby to finish off the landscaping part of the project. Soon to plan flowers! I'll post more pictures in the next couple weeks. Enjoy the gifts God has given you today.