"If Heaven Had Visiting Hours"

March 24, 2022 | By Chuck

   I’m sure we all have loved ones who have gone on to heaven.  The thought of them in heaven is a huge comfort.  Just considering what our loved ones in heaven experience at this moment fills my heart with joy.  The thought of seeing them again someday should motivate us to be faithful to the Lord.  As comforting and encouraging as all of this is, we still miss them.   I know my dad is happy and whole and enjoying his eternal reward, but I think of him and miss him daily.   I know you understand and feel the same way about your loved one in heaven. 

            If only heaven had visiting hours.  Hospitals have visiting hours.  Prisons do as well.  If we could just visit once a week for a few minutes to see how happy they are.  I’d love to fill dad in on all of the things he’s missed the last 10 years.  Can you imagine if heaven had visiting hours?  What would that be like?

            Would Peter and the other apostles welcome us and lead us to our loved one?  Would the light radiating from the One on the throne be so bright we couldn’t look away?  And the Lamb, Jesus, would we see Him?  Can I speak to Jesus?  Would we be so enamored and overwhelmed by beauty and majesty of heaven that we couldn’t speak or would we forget why we were there?  Would we want to leave once visiting hours are over?

            I’m convinced if I made a visit to heaven I would not want to come back.  I know after seeing the glory of the Lord and experiencing the true perfection of heaven I’d be hooked and have no desire to leave.  Brothers and sisters, I know we can’t visit our loved ones in heaven, but we can definitely live every day of our lives with heaven in mind.  We can find motivation from the hope of heaven to draw nearer to the Lord and always be faithful to Him.  No matter what you are going through right now in your life, you have heaven to live for.  I don’t want to visit heaven; I want to go to heaven and stay forever. 

            “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17).