28 for 31. All Things New

Mom's story ends and her eternity begins with Heaven.

Most days of my life, I wear two bracelets:

The teal bracelet is an Ovarian Cancer Awareness bracelet. The pearl bracelet is a special gift from Dad. It has twelve pearls, some gold, and beautiful crystals. It is called a "Heaven bracelet" taken from the picture we see in Revelation 21:21, "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass."


I love the bracelets and enjoy the reminder as I wear them each day. I actually like to read a few verses earlier in Revelation,  "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” -Revelation 21:3-5a. I experience joy like nothing else when I read these verses. God will dwell with His people. The things here on this earth that hurt and break our hearts will be no more. "He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" As believers, we experience an abundant new life when we trust Christ, but it goes beyond my imagination to consider what we will enjoy when God makes all things new.

I am not sure what eternity is like now as believers in Heaven await the day when all is made new as well. Mom wanted to see Jesus. I smile when I think of her worshipping our Savior, and no cancer to be found. I am sure she has encountered many others whose life had been made new by Christ here on this earth and now they experience Heaven together.

I go to see His glory,
Whom we have loved below:
I go, the blessed angels,
The holy saints to know.
Our lovely ones departed,
I go to find again,
And wait for you to join us.
Goodnight, goodnight till then! 
-Goodnight, Matthew Smith. 


For those who remain, we anxiously await the promises of Revelation 21. We tell others about the glorious gospel of Christ that can change one's life. Scripture reminds me once again that what we know here is only temporary, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself." -Philippians 3:20-21. All power and glory is His in Heaven and here on earth. In life or in death, may our hearts rejoice in Him!