Lives Fully

 “The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A [person] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” (Mark Twain)

On the early morning hours of December 13, 2020 (just twelve days before Christmas 2020), I lost a dear senior citizen friend of mine to pancreatic cancer. This vital childhood acquaintance was influential in my spiritual development and my singing abilities as a gospel soloist. (When I was a child I sat next to the pastor's wife and church choir director, Jean, in my home church, Fellowship Baptist Church in Columbus, OH. she gave me peppermint candy if I kept quiet and behaved during the service.) 

Near the end of her life, my mother, sister, and I visited Jean Dinoff the day before Thanksgiving 2020 (for the last time). As she recounted her memories of the Kinker family, she also gave us all her blessing one last time. Jean was weak, cold (with a blanket covering her entire body), jaundiced-colored (from liver failure), had lost a lot of weight, and was in a great deal of pain (being somewhat controlled with medication). I wonder what it must have been like to fall asleep in death with a sick mortal body to wake up immortal and perfect in the splendor of Heaven as she hugged both Jesus, and all her family that had gone on ahead to wait for her there.

Verses like 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 (ICB) assure me of the reality of my faith in a place called “Heaven:” We know that our body—the tent we live in here on earth—will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us to live in. It will not be a house made by men. It will be a home in heaven that will last forever.  But now we are tired of this body. We want God to give us our heavenly home. There are a lot of details surrounding Heaven that the Bible remains silent (or gives little information) on that I’m curious about. Here’s some of my list:

·                  What’s the trip like from Earth to Heaven (at the conclusion of a person’s life)? Is it          instantaneous like an Internet connection (or a smartphone picture)?

·                Will I recognize my loved one in Heaven, and will they recognize me?

          Are there babies in Heaven (or is everyone an adult)?

·              Will I do normal functions like sleep, work, (and go to the bathroom)?

·              Are there animals (pets) in Heaven?

·            What kind of food, transportation, and housing will I have in Heaven?

·          Can my loved ones see me living my life from Heaven? Can they have any effect on       what I do on Earth?

Maybe God doesn't give me all the details I want about Heaven in the Bible so that I'll remain curious about it, and long for it the older I get. When it comes to better understanding what the mind cannot fully grasp. I hope these two analogies of mine will help you get the emotional complexity of better accepting this celestial place. Chances are that I will never make it to Hawaii for a vacation.  In the distant future if that were to happen (and I’d never been there before), could I fully comprehend all that entire place is through TV and the Internet. I would have to experience it first hand to fully understand it.

If my small toaster-sized Chihuahua (Rosco) were to come in contact with a literal mountain-size pile of dog food; though He would enjoy that (as he tried to eat all of it), with his limited dog brain could he fully  comprehend what was before him. The finite human mind can never fully understand the infinite realm of Heaven.

I believe all the questions (that seem so important in life) that we want God to answer now; won’t matter (or will be forgotten) in the presence of God. I am also certain that if unconditional love and acceptance were not something you had in life, you will receive them in plentiful amounts in Heaven. Jean (or Mrs. Dinoff), I will always cherish you I fondly remember our times together. I will one day see you in person as we settle down for a long talk. Below are some of my favorite pictures of my good friend, Jean Dinoff.