Glimpses of Heaven

A long time ago when my youngest son was a little boy, I used tell him that before he came to us, he was in Heaven with God. One day I playfully asked him if he remembered anything about being there. To my utter surprise, he began telling me in all sincerity that he loved playing with the angels and that it was so beautiful there. It was such a precious thing to say, and I began to ponder his innocent words. It caused me to think about the Scripture that says, “Before you were born, I knew you.” I wondered if my little one had experienced the presence of God. What an awesome thought! When he got a little older, I asked him the same question about Heaven and he looked at me with a puzzled expression. He had forgotten.

Young children are so pure and relatively untouched by the world. They are simple creatures with a basic need to be loved and cared for. They have no worries, no concerns, no responsibilities. They respond to their mother’s smile with delight and hold tightly to their daddy’s hand when they venture out into the world. Their world is secure because someone loves them. As they get older, life becomes more complicated. They experience rejection, heartache, illness, sadness, confusion, loss, and troubles of every kind. Life becomes hard and sometimes very painful. “Playing with the angels” is nowhere in their memory.

We were all once little children. We began this life as a gift of Love from the Creator who “knit us” within our mother’s womb. Our souls were created by the Divine One. By virtue of our baptism, we carry within us the Holy Spirit who inspires us to call out to our Abba. But what has happened to all of us? Have we forgotten who we are and where we came from? Are we aware that we are the apple of His eye, that we are precious in His sight, that He has numbered every hair on our head? We may at times feel detached from our Father in Heaven, but we are, without doubt, closely connected to Him. The Lord our God has not forgotten us, and I believe that He reveals Himself to us each and every day. But have we gotten too old, too cynical, too immersed in the world, too preoccupied, to see God’s Presence in our daily lives? Are we missing the glimpses of Heaven? I assure you they are there!

One day I woke up quite early in the morning while it was still dark outside. I made a cup of tea and then went to look out my back window. In the distance was the most amazing sight. The tops of the trees were brilliant with light. The sun was just beginning to rise and the light was shining only on them. Everything else was very dark. I was stunned at the sight. I went quickly to the front window to see if I could see the sun coming up but it was still too low on the horizon. I went back to watch the trees all aglow but it had already vanished. It was but a moment of grace, a quick glimpse into the beauty of Heaven. I thanked God for allowing me to see such a spectacular sight and I realized that I need to become more aware of these “glimpses”.

Lord, open our eyes to see that You are there, that You make yourself known to us in so many different ways. You reveal your majesty, Your personality, Your love for us through Your creation, through Your Word, through the encouragement of a friend, through the smile of a stranger. Help us to become more like little children so that we can be filled with joy and awe and wonder at the gifts You give us and the many ways You remind us of where we came from…..and where we are going.

Please share your own "glimpses of Heaven".