Have you ever had one of those amazing moments when you felt like you experienced a tiny glimpse of heaven?
I had one of those occurrences just yesterday. It was a stunning, breathtaking, sunny Fall Day in Southern Ontario. The temperature was cool, but the sun was so very warm against your face. I attended a wonderful Sunday morning worship service in the Evangelical church I call home. Five families had their children dedicated to the Lord, and it was encouraging to see the growth of young people attending our church.
On the drive home, you could glimpse the glorious hues of gold, copper, red and orange on the escarpment. Everything looked like it had been hand painted by the very hand of God. Later that afternoon I attended a Choral Evensong at a picturesque historic Anglican church, built in 1883. The timing of the service could not have been more perfect as the sun was setting in the perfect position to stream through the magnificent stain glass windows. The vibrant tints of colour reflected on the floor, the walls and even on the service outline I held.
The opening Scripture reading could not have expressed my awe and wonder any better,
“O PRAISE the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful. The LORD doth build up Jerusalem and gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals those that are broken in heart and binds up their wounds. He tells the numbers of the stars and calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and great is His power: yea, and His wisdom is infinite. The LORD sets up the meek and brings the ungodly down to the ground. O SING unto the LORD with thanksgiving: sing praises upon the harp unto our God." (Psalm 147: 1-7).
After the service, strolling the shores of Lake Ontario, with my hand safely held by another, listening to the waves and seeing the moonbeam across the water, I felt I was experiencing a tiny glimpse of heaven.
Yet, I knew my experiences of that day of feeling the presence of God and being loved by another were just a glorious taste of God’s goodness. And while these gifts of grace are beyond anything I ever imagined, there have been seasons of deep sorrow and heartache woven through the threads of time that did not fill me with wonder. That’s what makes me treasure the unexpected blessings even more.
While I’m perfectly attuned to the reality that there are mountains and valleys, sorrow and pain yet to be endured before I meet my Saviour, I am confident that the God who goes before me will hold me fast.
In the meantime, I will continue to marvel at all the tiny glimpses of heaven that can be experienced through different forms of worship, in Scripture, in nature, in relationships and in the truth of knowing that I am and always will be the daughter of a King. These good and perfect gifts are all the result of God’s amazing grace and I am truly thankful!
