"Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God.  For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few."  Ecclesiastes 5: 2 (TAB)

I passed him on road which wasn't unusual.  After months of making weekly visits, we would often pass and wave.  He on the way to the barber shop or the grocery store or the local coffee shop where the world problems would be discussed, solved and discussed again.  Me on the way to his home to visit his dying wife.

Crossing the threshold of the bedroom, she was lying flat on her back in bed, she said, "Beautiful."  I stopped and blinked, hard, slow, and turned.  Beautiful?  Not a description of me.  Obviously, someone was standing behind me.  No, no one there.  "Beautiful" she said again with a sense of awe in her voice.  My eyes made a quick tour of the room.  Small and cluttered I'd term it 'homey' not beautiful.  Realizing she was looking at the ceiling, I looked up.  It was a drop ceiling that had the stains of 50+ years of weather and living.  Nothing beautiful there either. 

Entering the room, she again said, "It's beautiful, just so beautiful."  Okay, got that. I'm not sure what it is, but I know whatever it is is beautiful.  "What's beautiful?" I ask.  "Don't you see it?" she queries.  "It's so beautiful."  "No, I don't see what you see." I tell her, "Can you tell me what is beautiful?"  "Heaven, heaven is so beautiful."  Now, I look at the ceiling in earnest, willing myself to see what she is seeing. . .heaven, we have heaven in this 10x10 bedroom!?  I want to see it too!!!  Where is it?  What exactly is she seeing?  I squint.  Nothing.  "What does it look like?  What do you see?"  There is a tremor of excitement in my voice.  "Oh, I can't describe it, it's just too. . ." that's right, it's beautiful! 

Exasperated at myself, I ask, "Do you see Jesus?"  "Oh, yes."  "What does He look like?  What is He doing?"  "Oh, He's beautiful.  Just beautiful. There is so much light."  And then as quickly as the veil was opened, it closed. 

I won't lie, I felt somewhat deflated, maybe even cheated a little.  Why did she get to see into the heavenlies and not me???  I also felt a little concern or maybe guilt.  Was my pressing for answers the reason the door closed to her?  I knew her faith and love for the Lord and didn't want to be an obstacle between them but a stepping stone to Him.  Yet, in spite of my thoughts and feelings, she continued to have a euphoria and awe in her voice.  Heaven is real and she knew where she would be one day.  There was great peace in that knowledge.  And great joy.

Lord, please help me to remember that you are with us always.  That the veil between life and death is thin and permeable, easily transversed.  Remind me that heaven is a beautiful place, a place to be desired and sought.  Help me be the stepping stone to you and the place you have prepared for them. Let me share the joy of knowing that heaven is real.  Amen.