Gone with the wind

All things are passing. This world as we know it will someday pass away and we will be given a new Heaven and a new Earth. Doesn't that just blow your mind?

So think about it: everything that we own will someday be gone. Our homes. Our furniture. Our clothes. Our cars. Our Dunkin' Donut cups. Our baseball mitts. Our TVs and our computers and our cell phones too. No more video games.

So what will be left? Just us and the essence of who we are. As the saying goes, "You can't take it with you."

It is kind of hard to think about not having any "stuff", isn't it? We rely on our stuff to get us through our days. What will we do without it?

We will worship our God. We will sing with the angels. I hope that is what I'll be doing anyway. I hope I make it to Heaven. I will be happy even if I just get inside the pearly gates (main entrance!).

I had a dream once. My grandfather had died and I was worried if he made it to Heaven or not. He didn't believe in God or Heaven. One night, about 3 months after his death, I had a dream. It was a "God dream" - short, to the point, very vivid and unforgetable. When my grandfather was alive I would tell him about Heaven (my understanding of it at 19 years of age.) and he would "poo poo" my comments. He would say that he didn't believe in Heaven, but if Hell existed he would probably be there. After his death I prayed so hard that he made it to Heaven.

Anyway, in this dream, my grandfather walked into the room. It was so real. I shouted GRANDPA and started to go to him. He said to me: "Don't touch me. I can't stay. I just came to tell you that Heaven is ten million times more beautiful that you said it was and I'll see you there." And then he left. I woke up. I had noticed in the dream that he was wearing a suit and tie and he had no shoes on. Several months later I was telling my grandmother about the dream. She also had some issues with God. I think what made her believe that it was true was how I described how he looked. You see, it was a closed casket wake. I never saw what my grandfather wore. I also didn't know that the funeral director gave his shoes to my grandmother, so he was buried without shoes on.

So, someday all of this around us will be gone with the wind - the wind and power of the Holy Spirit. What will remain will be "us" - all that God created us to be. We won't need our stuff because our eyes will be fixed on our sweet, beloved Jesus.

I'll have to remember I wrote all of this whenever I get sentimental about a "thing" and am trying to decide if I should give it away, or the next time I want to buy something that is rather frivolous.

Anyway, this is what I'm thinking about anyway. Have a blessed night.