I Can Only Imagine

Sundays are my favorite day. The slowness allows me to reconnect to what matters as I begin another week. If only every day could start with a refreshing run followed by church and a coffee shop. I suppose if it happened more than once a week, I wouldn't cherish my Sundays.

The current series at church that we are exploring is titled "Eternity." I enjoy theology and learning new elements of my faith, and because of that, I feel like these past few weeks were designed just for me. The minister is teaching about the realities of heaven and hell. There are so many questions, and there is only one place to turn for the answers: the Bible. I'm deeply interested in learning more about the glory of heaven and all that the Lord has in store for those that have accepted His grace. This morning through scripture, the minister painted a beautiful picture of heaven. I left excited about eternal life. This may sound strange, and I don't wish to die, but learning about heaven allows me to draw closer to my God. I have a better understanding of His love and a deeper yearning to love like Him.

As I sit in my favorite coffee shop, I am listening to the song "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe. I remember when this song first came out; I was in high school. I'll never forget the conversation I had with a friend that said she felt the song was a little sad. I didn't understand why she felt that way, possibly because it's about death. I responded by saying that I thought it was up-lifting. I still feel this way because, to me, this song represents to greatness of heaven. God gave His son so that we could receive the gift of eternal life. In no way is that sad; the idea of heaven leaves me smiling. This song also reminds me of my Grandma Earleen. She died around the time when this song came out. It was the first real death that I had lived through, and it was a lot harder than I ever imagined. Listening to the words of this song helped me realize that my grandma is in a wonderful place, and I will see her again some day. Bittersweet, but mostly sweet for followers of Jesus Christ.

About these essays I'm supposed to be grading...