Seven years ago, I recorded a harp album on the theme of heaven and God's redeeming love. I titled that album Thou Art Worthy. Naturally, my mind was drawn towards heaven, in particular, the worship aspect of heaven.
Lately, I've been thinking about heaven again, but from a different aspect. Two months ago, a woman I knew quite well passed away. Her death was not a complete surprise; I knew her health had not been good for a while. But her death made me think about the impact her life had on my life. Quite often, you do not realize the impact of someone’s life until they are gone.
This woman was the wife of a store owner, the small grocery store I worked in for many years. Prior to visiting and moving to Colorado, I didn't know her. I met her at a church my family and I attended when we first moved to Colorado 25 years ago. A few years later, she and her husband opened this small grocery store, asking me later if I would consider working for them.
This woman's name was Sarah. She and her husband came from an Amish background, though they were no longer Amish when we met them. They were Bible believing Christians with a gift in knowing how to run a successful business. I felt honored to work for them.
When I heard of her death one morning in January, I paused to contemplate the effect her life had on mine. We came from extremely different backgrounds, culturally speaking. She was born an Amish girl in Pennsylvania, with an Amish culture and heritage. She later found Christ and accepted Him as Lord and Savior of her life. Later, her husband also gave his life to Christ. They eventually left the Amish and later moved to Colorado. I was born in Michigan, an American girl with an English culture and heritage. I also gave my heart and life to the Lord, and later, my family moved to Colorado and attended the same church as this woman and her family. Our cultures were so vastly different, and yet, because of Jesus, we were sisters in Christ.
Did we have the exact same convictions on everything? No we didn't. But I loved her, and she loved me. And we both loved the Lord. I felt honored and privileged to know her. My life was impacted and touched by hers.
Had I not worked in her and her husband's little grocery store, I might not own the beautiful harps I do today. I might not have recorded the harp albums I have. I might not have traveled to the different countries that I have been to. I might not even own the vehicle I currently have. There are many people I know today simply from working in their grocery store. I'm glad they asked me to work for them because, as a woman, job hunting isn’t exactly my thing. My life has been tremendously impacted by customers I met while working in their grocery store. All because of a woman who gave her life to God and worked with her husband in starting this little grocery store. Her death made me realize the impact anyone can have in their workplace or in their home while raising children.
It's amazing to me the impact that just one person's life can have on so many people. My life wasn't the only one this woman touched. She touched the lives of so many others, especially her husband and children. Their testimonies at her funeral deeply touched my heart. She is in heaven with Christ today.
I had many thoughts on heaven in January after her death. I thought about other people I know who are also in heaven. I thought about the eternal impact that someone can make in the lives of others.
St. Patrick, who is celebrated this month, left an eternal impact for God on the people of Ireland in his day. Sadly, most people don't know the true story of Patrick.
Esther in the Bible made an eternal impact for God and for her people by standing up for what was right, a holiday called Purim that the Jewish people celebrate this month.
I love taking pictures of the sky, especially when the sun is peaking through the clouds. Below are some pictures I've taken in the past year of the sky, clouds, and sun. Pictures like these make me think about heaven and about God.
Heaven is where God is.
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| Taken August 2023 |
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| Taken August 2023 |
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| Taken October 2023 |
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| Taken January 2024 |
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| I like to think of pictures like this one as: "Heaven peaking through" Taken January 2024 |
This past December I was sick. Thankfully, it didn't last very long, but the virus I had seemed to want to “re-circulate” (for lack of a better word) every so often. In January and in February, I felt “not quite myself” at times. I felt “not up to par” as some might say. Sigh. What is wrong with me, I wondered? Granted, it was winter when viruses tend to spread a lot more. But goodness! I felt like clapping my hands together and saying to myself “Get with it, Erin.” But I couldn't. My body couldn't. I was tired. I was fighting something. And then I heard of others with this nasty, re-circulating virus and was greatly comforted to know that I wasn't the only one with it.
I began to think about heaven again from another angle. No more sickness. I can't even fathom that. No more viruses. No more diseases. No more injuries. No more broken bones. No more broken hearts. No pain at all. Restoration. Reunion. Complete redemption. Complete wholeness. Complete peace. Complete love. Complete perfectness. I confess, my finite, limited mind cannot comprehend it all. But I know it is true because God's Word says that it is. And best of all, heaven is glorious because God is there.
Sometimes, I like to remind my family that God did not create me with glasses. Though I'm thankful for my glasses, in heaven, I look forward to not wearing them. My eyesight will be perfect.
And as silly as it may sound, I look forward to my right arm being perfect again. I broke my right arm at the age of 13, while living in California, running down a hill after chasing one of our cats. I broke my right arm at the elbow that evening and a small piece of the “funny bone” broke off. (not so funny) I got teased a lot over that one. After wearing a half cast for a few weeks, the doctor decided to leave my arm alone, believing that it would heal fine on its own which it did. But, there is still a very small piece of my right funny bone floating in there. In general, it does not bother me. But at times, it can bother me just a little. In heaven, my right arm will be perfect.
Little did I know, while planning to write and publish this post, that I would trip over a curb and fall down hard on our cement driveway 5 days ago, breaking a finger in my right hand and my left arm at the elbow! I hadn't broken a bone since I was 13. I was hoping for only one broken bone on the record, but now, I have three on record. Thankfully, these new breaks are just fractures that should heal completely fine in several weeks.
Heaven. I'm looking forward to it for so many reasons. No more broken bones. Two broken bones at once had me pacing the floor in severe pain in the hospital room while waiting on the doctor after x-rays. Broken fingers are so painful. Extra strength Tylenol is amazing.
Earlier this month, I took a picture of the sky and clouds after parking my vehicle outside our home. The sky was breathtaking and compelling. I had to snap a few pictures.
After sharing them, a friend pointed out that the cloud shape (which I hadn't noticed) looked like a woman, sitting down, with something holding her head up. Wow!
The longer I looked at the picture, it nearly gave me shivers. It looked like a bride, a bride slowly going up to heaven.
Can you see the back of her head? She looks like she is wearing a crown, a tiara to be specific, like a queen or a princess might wear. Can you see her arm and her long flowing gown? I'm still in awe of this cloud shape.
Once of these days, very soon, the Lord is going to come back to “catch His bride away” as the old songs says. “All tears forever over, in God's eternal day!”
God will take His bride to be with Him in heaven.
I can hardly wait!
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| Taken March 2024 |