I Can Only Imagine

Emma would have been two today. It hardly seems as if it has been that long since the tiniest little thing ever entered our lives. I hadn't thought much of it today. It was a busy day. But on my way home from work I heard the Mercy Me song "I Can Only Imagine" on the radio. The lyrics are as follows:

Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus,
Or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Halelluja,
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.

And then the verses in Luke 18 came to my mind. In these verses people are bringing the children to Jesus and the disciples see this as a bother to Jesus. Jesus replies with these powerful words "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." WOW! The kingdom of God belongs to those who enter it as a little child. This made me think of going home. The best part of any trip home is the moment I see Doodlebug across a room. She immediately stops what she is doing and runs over to see me. That, my dear readers, is childlike excitement. So I hope when I enter heaven's gates it is with childlike excitement. I want to see Jesus and the Father across the way and run to them. I know that's what Emma did. And Gus too. And all the other little ones who have gone on ahead of us. For they entered the gates of Heaven with that wonderful childlike attitude. So happy to see their Heavenly Father. As only a child can do. Oh yes, there will be rejoicing and praising, but I want there to be excitement. I know we won't know what it is truly like until we are there but for now we can "only imagine." And rejoice for those who have gone on ahead.

I pray the New Year will bring to each of us a childlike faith. Eager to spend time with the One who loves us more than any other. The One who yearns to capture our full attention. The One who wants to see us excited to spend time with Him. For we don't have to wait until we are in Heaven to spend time with our Father. We only have to talk to Him. And talk to Him with the eagerness and excitement of a little child seeing a relative or friend after time apart. God is good. No, God is great. And though we should grow and mature in our walk with Him we should never lose sight of the childlike excitement that comes with being part of the greatest family of all.