Glimpses of Heaven

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died." I Thessalonians 4:13-14

It has been three years since my husband died as a result of COVID and heart disease; it’s been a long time, but I can’t believe it’s been three years. I talk to him and feel him near me; I hear movement in the next room and have to remind myself that it can’t be him. When I talk to him, I find myself beginning with, “What did you do today?” Then I realize that where he is as a believer has no time, no “today.“

Stumped by this realization, I find myself at a loss for words to tell him about what I have been doing. Then again, do I really need to tell him or does he already know everything that’s happened? But if he’s with the believers who have died, how will he manage knowing about the occurrences on earth as well as interact with other heavenly dwellers? As a human, he was not good at multitasking or keeping up with a large group conversation. On the other hand, he loved reading and watching biographies, so he would be delighted to meet significant and ordinary people from all eras of existence. 

Befuddled by these quandaries, I did what every computer-user would do, I googled, “What happens after you die?” - everyone, from Bible scholars to non-believers, chimed in. Citing both Old and New Testament sources, one academic wrote that we are only human bodies, but filled with soul that is released on death. Death is a temporary sleep that ends when our souls are released upon the second coming. Well, that didn’t answer my questions, so I restated it, “What do people do in heaven?” One blogger prepared a list of “The 10 Things You’ll Probably Do in Heaven.” The Eternal Perspective Ministries’ response was to distinguish between Present Heaven, a place where those who loved Jesus wait for his return to earth, and Eternal Heaven, the state where believers will feel nothing but joy and pleasure. This still leaves much to the imagination. So what will I do next?

I’m going to keep pondering my questions about what my husband does with his time; keep believing that the Bible brings glimpses of Heaven; and I’ll keep talking to him, just as I always have.

Carol McClain