Heaven

I have a hard time explaining Heaven to my five- year-old. He thinks Heaven sounds scary. He asks me periodically if we can just stay here and not go to Heaven.I've tried to talk Heaven up and make it seem really great and exciting. The Bible describes it as a feast, a city with streets of gold, a mansion, a long sing-along with the angels before God's throne. None of this appeals to him much, unless I tell him he can eat as much chocolate as he wants at this feast without having to eat any "real" food first. Truth is, gold streets and singing with the angels for eternity don't appeal much to me either. Maybe the Apostle John was very musical and the idea of singing forever was awesome. To me, it seems like way too little to do for six months, let alone ETERNITY. So I've come up with my own vision of Heaven. I live in a ten-storey building with my entire Church, called JPUSA, of about four hundred people. I like to imagine Heaven like JPUSA at Christmas time, in those few peaceful days between Christmas and New Years. All of the gifts are open, everyone is home brewing pots of coffee and you can still greet people with "Merry Christmas." My husband and I like to drift around, hanging out with people and eating treats, basically doing nothing but enjoying our peculiar home and the people who share it with us. I hope Heaven is like this, having a holy responsibility to enjoy hanging out with God and all of the people there. I think one of the main problems with descriptions of Heaven is that we are told of so many things that won't be there. There will be no pain, suffering, dying, or tears. I am glad to hear that, but what will it be full of? What has helped me is my own experiences of moving. I went to Mexico for nearly a year. During that time, the list of what I missed was staggering. I left my family, friends, language, culture, health, food, and so many other things. Before I left, I used to wonder what I would do to fill my time without these things. Once there, I got new friends, learned Spanish, and developed a liking for mangos. My time was full, and most importantly, I learned that the same hands that had cared for me in Chicago, God's hands, were still caring for me there. He cared for me using people who I had never seen before and who never even knew how to pronounce my name. But the caring was the same because God never stopped, just my circumstances. So this is what Heaven is all about: the same Person Who has cared for me all of my life will be there caring for me still, but this time it will be His face I see, His hands I feel, His voice I hear, directly. The Bible calls God, "Him Who fills everything in every way," so Heaven won't be empty. I just don't comprehend what it will be full of. But as long as it is the same hands caring for me there, it will be wonderful. I'm hoping for a few pots of coffee and some comfy couches,too. Now, how do I explain this to a five-year-old?