Diary of a Pastors Wife
An honest reflection of what couples in Ministry experience daily – the good, bad and the downright wacky. It demonstrates their undying love, commitment and sacrifice to the Ministry despite all odds.
Mum, does Heaven have a beach?
“Mum, does heaven have a beach? Can we take our suitcases there or are there clothes for us in heaven? Mum, who’s going to brush my teeth there? Is it one of the angels? But they’re not my mummy or daddy!”
My 5-year old son Adriel bombarded me with questions this morning. He’s clearly been listening to the conversations between his dad and I every time we hear the sad news of another life lost due to Covid-19. When he asks, we usually tell him the person who has passed on has gone to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus. What we didn’t know was that this little boy was busy pondering on what heaven was all about.
“Mum, can we take an aeroplane to heaven? Or maybe a helicopter?” No son, I said, we have to die first, then we go to heaven. “Die! Mummy….I don’t want to die!….Mum I’ll be scared if I go to heaven…I’ll be scared of the angels. Will they be kind?” Yes baby, they are very kind, they will love you and take such good care of you! Silence….“Mum, are there games in heaven?… Mamma…when they blow the trumpet, what if it’s too loud for my ears?”
Adriel made me laugh and cry at the same time. The innocence of a little boy coupled with the reality of death gives us all a lot to think about.
In the midst of the pain and anguish the Corona virus has brought, this is a time for introspection, a time for reflection. If tomorrow never comes, where do we go from here? Reality usually hits me the hardest in the early hours of the morning. This is when I battle to sleep after filling my mind with Facebook pictures and videos of bereavement. The other night I found myself praying for forgiveness, for all my shortcomings, for all the times I’ve failed. I then prayed for forgiveness on behalf of all my family members, all my friends, and admittedly a little reluctantly, even for those who have in the past caused great pain. I had a little help from Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” I was not about to take any chances!
As Christians, we believe God’s Word: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” While we may have a glorious image of heaven, I’m sure God’s plan for us is far more than we can ever dream or imagine. Dr David Leininger shared the story below in a sermon on March 30th, 1997, which lightheartedly puts this into context…
I love the old story of the rich man who, on his deathbed, negotiated with God to allow him to bring his earthly treasures with him when he came to heaven. God’s reaction was that this was a most unusual request, but since this man had been exceptionally faithful, permission was granted to bring along just one suitcase. The time arrived, the man presented himself at the pearly gates, suitcase in hand – BOTH hands, actually, since he had stuffed it with as many bars of gold bullion as would fit. St. Peter said, “Sorry, you know the rules – you can’t take it with you.” But the man protested, “God said I could… one suitcase.” St. Peter checked, found out that this one would be an exception, prepared to let the man enter, then said, “OK, but I will have to examine the contents before you pass.” He took the suitcase, opened it, saw the gold bars and asked quizzically, “You brought PAVEMENT?”
I don’t know if you believe in God, but for me, I can’t imagine going through life, or this pandemic without trusting in the Sovereignty of an Almighty God. I can’t imagine living each day without His grace, strength and mercy.
Indian author Arundhati Roy gives us some food for thought…“What is this thing that has happened to us? It’s a virus, yes. In and of itself it holds no moral brief. But it is definitely more than a virus. Some believe it’s God’s way of bringing us to our senses. Others that it’s a Chinese conspiracy to take over the world. Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.”
Numbers 16 in the Bible speaks of a plague that had befallen the people of Israel. Aron offered incense and made atonement for the people. Verse 48 says “He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted.”
Right now we stand between the living and the dead. I believe we have two huge responsibilities. Firstly, it is to pray and intercede on behalf of society for this plague to end. Secondly, we need to take a moment to reflect and ask ourselves – where to from here? If tomorrow never comes, where does my future lie?
Adriel ended our conversation by asking, “Mum, how will I die? Mamma, can you tell me how many sleeps before I go heaven?” It’s a heavy topic for a 5-year old boy, but I’m glad I got to answer some of his questions, and I’m hoping it provides some consolation when he hears about a relative or friend who has gone to be with Jesus.
I took some time to explain to my son that only God knows when he will take us to be with Him. After a small sigh he said, “Ok mummy, can you please, please type ‘kids racing cars’ into Youtube?
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Diary of a Pastors Wife 
May there be Grace for every innocent child who loses a parent through these precarious times.
Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for such is the kingdom of heaven.
Bless You Melini for your continuous persuasion of the truth that following Christ Jesus is the main deal.
Grace,
Edmund
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