Sit a Spell with Jesus

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:1-7 ESV). I read a true story from a palliative nurse in a children’s facility for the terminally ill. She related that as a terminally ill child was nearing the end of life. As her parents cared for her, they noticed her calm demeanor. When asked how she was doing, the girl said matter-of-factly that she was fine and wondered why her parents couldn’t see Jesus sitting next to her on the bed. What makes this story even more amazing is that this family had no spiritual background or connection to Christianity. There was no “default” that would lead the child to know Jesus before this experience. In the south we have an expression that invites someone to come and “sit a spell.” It’s just a kind way of inviting someone to make themselves at home and relax. I’ve had those experiences many times. While living in Middle Tennessee over the past few years one of my favorite times was spent sitting on the front porch of my friends’ home, drinking a cup of coffee, and listening to the sounds of the world go by. He lives in the country, with no neighbors nearby and no distracting noises from cars rushing down the road. On that porch you can look across the valley to the next ridge and simply breathe. It is one of the most relaxing settings. That’s the invitation of Jesus to us at death. While we have a lot of questions about heaven; will I know people who have passed away before me? what will it be like? if I have to sing, will I at least get a better-sounding voice? And of course, there is the super-spiritual questions about whether there will be hunting or fishing! Here’s what we know: heaven is a place that is uncorrupted by sin and suffering. It’s the place where God dwells in complete harmony and unity with his people, and the place where the pain of this life no longer exists. While the specifics are beyond imagining (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9), we know that none of us will want for anything or wish that anything was different. We will get to go and sit a spell with Jesus! I believe that little girl experienced a preview of the greatest gift of heaven: the presence of Jesus himself. Won’t that be incredible? Sort of makes me “home sick” for that home!