This past week, I’ve had several medical visits. An annual physical. A six month dental checkup. My dentist told me I need to have a tooth removed. What? I’ve flossed and brushed most of my life–well, maybe not so much as a kid–but most of my adult life. Still, there’s a tooth that has an abscess and needs to be removed–right away. I want everything to be good and having to have a tooth removed isn’t good. It induces pain, is uncomfortable. But without removing it, the dentist told me it would give poison access through the bloodstream that could travel to my brain. We all know the brain is what keeps everything working in our body and poison to the brain would not be good. So out it goes next week. I don’t like it.

But I don’t like it that I can’t run with the wind like I did as a youngster, that I can’t get up as easily, although I work to keep in shape. My body is aging! I can’t get around it. I don’t like it when someone dies. Yet I know there is a future for me beyond this life.

God promises a special place for those who believe in him. Our future will be in heaven. In the last book of the Bible, heaven is described, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper (that’s the reddish stone below) as clear as crystal …18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones:the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.(Revelation 21: 10-11, 18-20 NLT).

To the left are some precious stones. The foundation and the walls of the new heaven are made of these stones. Imagine how colorful it will be! The best part of the description of heaven to me though, is that God promises to live with us in that city: I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them (Revelation 21:3).

I want to study more about my future abode in heaven. There are more and more people in heaven now than when I was younger. I look forward to meeting them again, but what honestly sounds the sweetest to me is that God promises to live with us there. That means all things will be good. Perfect. No more aging, going to the doctor for ailments, or dentist for tooth aches. No more crime. Rebellion. Perfect.

How about you? Are you ready to live with God? We are told that everyone who goes to heaven must have a relationship with Jesus. Literally that means we believe Jesus, who is God, came to earth, lived as a man, but perfectly–was God. He died for our sins–because we are not perfect. Most importantly, he rose to life again. The result of believing and receiving are many things. He changes us from the inside out. And though our bodies are gradually aging, our faith should grow. There should be a difference in our lives. Best of all, we have eternal life with God.

So in the meantime, I will submit to teeth being removed to protect this aging body. Will keep attending stretch classes, lift weights at the gym, take walks and keep moving. But also I’m going to learn more about that future place I’m going to live. With a body that won’t deteriorate.  Best of all, I’ll be with God!

Enjoy the song about heaven below (there are many and you should look them up yourself):

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I hope to see some of you this next week at the book launch of my latest book. Please let me know if you’ll be there. Bur for sure, I’ll meet you right back here.