"A dream of heaven"

I was giving my daughter a bath tonight. We read scriptures over her or read her a story from her bible every night while she is taking a bath. She was particularly ornery tonight. She didn't sleep too well last night, nor did she take an excellent nap today, and I was pushing it because it was already past her bedtime. We were out late visiting a friend. If you can call 7pm late. On a Friday night. So, back to my point. Did I state my point yet? Her bible. The story we were reading tonight. "A dream of heaven". John sees into the future, from Revelation 1, 5, 21, 22. I had to read quickly and quite exaggeratedly to keep her attention. An exert from this story reads as follows:

"I see a throne. And on the throne is a king. And the King is Jesus.
All around the throne people are bowing down. They are giving him their treasures.

There are loud cheers and clapping, clapping and bright laughter like a thousand waterfalls and everyone bursts out singing a new song...

'This is our King! The Lamb who died, so we don't have to - our Rescuer. All Honor and Glory! Forever and ever.'

And every creature everywhere, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, joins in.

And then,
From all around
A wide
Immense
Beautiful
S I L E N C E

And I see Satan - God's horrible enemy - thrown down, defeated.

I see a sparkling city shimmering in the sky:
glittering, glowing - coming down!
From heaven.
And from the sky.
Heaven is coming down to earth!

God's city is beautiful. Walls of topaz, jasper, sapphire. Wide streets paved with gold. Gleaming pearl gates that are never locked shut.

Where is the sun? Where is the moon?
They aren't needed anymore. God is all the Light people need. No more darkness!
No more night!

And the King says, 'Look! God and his children are together again. No more running away. Or hiding. No more crying or being lonely or afraid. No more being sick or dying. Because all those things are gone. Yes, they're gone forever. Everything sad has come untrue. And see - I have wiped away every tear from every eye!'

And then a deep, beautiful voice that sounded like thunder in the sky says, 'Look, I am making everything new!' "


I cried. I looked at my daughter, "Claire, your sister and brothers, they are there. They see these things. They hear these things. Malia, Nathan and Anthony Jr are cheering and clapping and singing. They get to never be afraid or sick or lonely. They are made new." She looked at me like she knew what I was explaining to her...or maybe with concern because I was crying during her bath time. I don't care. I want to tell her about her siblings and where they are. Every day. I want to picture them in this place described in the bible. In heaven. With the King. With the Lamb of God. With each other. Waiting. I can't wait to see them again. I can't wait to hold them in my arms again when I get to this glorious place. I trust. I have faith. Even when I don't want to. I wait. And Claire WILL know about this trust, this faith. This place her siblings are, and how there's only one way to get there. I think she will chose the narrow path though. Because she smiles when I tell her about Jesus, when I tell her about how Malia, Anthony Jr, and Nathan are with Him. And how we will get to be someday too.

Every night I stop in front of their shelf. I touch their footprints, I pray "God, please let my babies come to me in my dreams!" They haven't yet. Maybe for reasons God only knows, maybe because they are busy cheering and clapping and singing a new song. I can't wait to be there someday too!