Minutes 'til Heaven

"Mom, how many minutes until we go home?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, until we go home to heaven to see Michael?"

Words spoken by our six year old this morning while snuggling in bed with mommy on Michael's fourth birthday.  Every year we try to celebrate as he is celebrating.  We think up a fun family activity to do on or around January 22nd - bowling, eating ice cream for dinner, spending a fun overnight in Chicago, going to a waterpark - but it just won't ever compare to the fun he is having in heaven.  For his is a year round, daily celebration of the Lord's grace.  Michael's celebration never ends and he never gets tired like we do.  He never gets bored with celebrating his eternal life through Christ.

Yet with every minute that ticks by we long to be there.  "How many minutes until we go home?"

      1       Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
      2       Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and         the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
      3       You return man to dust  and say, “Return, O children of man!”
      4       For a thousand years in your sight  are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
 
     12       So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
     13       Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
     14       Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
     15       Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
     16       Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
     17       Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!   (Psalm 90:1-4, 12-17)

And so we will number our days and we will number our minutes, knowing that God will provide wisdom on how to persevere through evil and difficulties. Knowing that our "temporary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (2 Cor 4:17) That He will make us infinitely more glad for an eternity compared with how we have suffered through grief in this momentary life.  And as we trust in Him, we will continue to point our children to the God of all eternity - the God of the minutes and the days and the thereafter - "for a thousand years in [His] sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night."

We continue to love you, Michael.  We celebrate with the fun as you would have wanted, foreshadowing the incredible, infinite fun and celebration we will one day have together with all the saints.  I love you, son.  We're only "minutes" from home.