[trigger warning: Includes very deep thoughts and affiliate links.]
Beautiful blue skies and sunshine. Amazing, vivid colors. Flowers, animals, and beautiful nature. Happy people, talking, laughing, and doing their everyday chores. Or angels and spirits of the deceased walking aimlessly around in puffy white clouds with golden linings, singing praise as they go? Have you ever stopped to wonder what heaven actually looks like?
I have experienced a series of painful losses in the recent past, which has led me again to the topic that has been troubling me for years and years. Yes, my doubts came crashing down when I was standing in the icy graveyard in northern Finland, in raw January weather, staring at the fresh snow-covered grave. It is oddly comforting to know that what I was staring at was just another grave, and according to my best understanding, my lost loved ones are in heaven. It is comforting to know that there’s a place called heaven. Still, my grieving for loss was and still is very real. And there is another thing; as said above, these questions about heaven have been bothering me for as long as a small eternity.
The dilemma about heaven is big and disturbing when it comes down to the teachings of Christianity. Yet we all know that life on earth is nothing but a blink of an eye in eternity. It is a journey we must take before entering whatever comes after. And ‘the after,’ assuming that we are on our way to heaven, is supposed to be better than the present. But what do people look like, and what do they do every day? Sing praises? I like singing, but isn’t there anything else to do than singing praises all day long? And what about those who don’t enjoy singing at all? Won’t my knees hurt after a while if I bow down in the presence of the Almighty 24/7? Does this all not get boring after a while? Why is it so that the descriptions of heaven you mostly hear do not exactly sound that appealing to me? Is there something wrong with heaven? Or is there something wrong with me?
Standing on the icy graveyard, I felt it was time to find some answers. I wanted to know where my friend was and what my grandma was now doing in heaven. The key to opening this knot in my soul turned out to be the same thing that has been present in opening all the big knots in my life. Yes, another set of books! Not very surprising, you might think. Those of you who know me also know that I am the worst of all bookaholics, after all! I was reminded of a book called Safely Home by the author Randy Alcorn; I read this fictional story years ago and had completely forgotten about it. So I had to dig it out from the depths of my bookshelves and reread parts of it.
Safely Home is just another fictional story, but as often is the case with well-written Christian fiction, this book is revolutionary and can open up new skies for the reader. So what was it with this book that I so cherished? Simply, it introduces a completely new way of thinking of heaven and what it looks like. While reading this story, I thought, if heaven is like that, I will love it! The book is about two old friends, Li Quan, and Ben Fielding. They met in college, but life has carried them in different directions. When the two reunite in China, both men are up for some shocking revelations. And what does this all have to do with heaven? You have to read yourself, but trust me; it is worth it. (Check it out here)
However, remembering this book led me to google the author’s other works. I found several fictional books that I then read, and they, too, nourished my soul with their descriptions of heaven. This seemed to be the theme that was somehow present in all of the books of Randy Alcorn I’ve read so far. Then I discovered the real treat; Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says about Our Eternal Home was listed as non-fiction. The blurb alone included all the questions I had ever wondered about heaven. I discovered that Alcorn has done much more than just writing a few fictional stories. As a matter of fact, he has done a significant amount of research on this topic, and his findings are all written in this book. Reading heaven has totally changed my perspective. Its message is simply revolutionary. The old worry has been lifted off my shoulders, and I can happily continue my life journey, facing a future in exciting, beautiful heaven!
I am not going to share all my new findings about heaven in this text because then it would be too long and because I cannot even begin to explain them as well as Randy Alcorn does. But I could now picture my friend jamming with other musicians in heaven, doing what he enjoyed most during his time here on earth. I could almost hear the drumming. I could also picture my grandma reuniting with her mother, who she lost when she was just a few days old. What a beautiful, healing reunion!
If you, by any means, share my former doubts about heaven, this book might give you the answers you seek. So, take my word about it, and read the book! My research on Mr. Alcorn revealed that his wife has very recently gone to this place called heaven. I find it pretty unlikely that Mr. Alcorn would ever come across my blog and read this particular post, but just in case, I would love to know whether losing a dearly loved co-traveler has added something to his views of heaven. Other than that, I wish him (and everyone else who’s grieving!) lots of supernatural strength and solace.
Back to the graveyard that triggered the whole thought process. I lighted up a candle, said my final goodbyes, and turned to walk away from the frozen cemetery. My journey is not over yet but one day we will meet again. The few rays of daylight in the cold, dark, Nordic city were breaking through the gray mass of clouds. For a moment, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sun and the colors it paints on the horizon before disappearing again. Reflections of Heaven?
