Dare to Imagine Heaven

We talk about heaven so little, you’d think it was a taboo topic. And when it does come up, it’s often reduced to vague, cloudy clichés that feel more like a bad greeting card than the hope of eternity. But what if we dared to imagine it—really imagine it—the way Scripture hints and our hearts long for?

While writing this blog, I witnessed a near miss—a speeding small car almost collided with a big semi that had pulled out into the middle of traffic. Nothing makes me think about my existence after death more than DFW traffic!

Heaven is a topic we seldom talk about. And if we do, it is usually in very vague terms. That’s probably because it’s the one thing no one on earth has ever truly experienced. We don’t have experts. We do have a handful of people who died, felt God’s presence (or absence), and were then brought back to life. But even they didn’t see the full heavenly experience.

As a child, my dad and grandfather would endlessly discuss how and when they believed Jesus would return. Way too early in life, I was exposed to words like premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. To this day, I couldn’t tell you much about any of those terms because my mind tuned it all out. In fact, for many years I read passages in Isaiah and Revelation much like I would read Narnia, thinking, “It’s a nice idea—but get real.”

Then I read a book that changed my whole perspective about our heavenly future. It was called All Things New: Heaven, Earth and the Restoration of the Things You Love by John Eldredge. I loved that it didn’t try to give me a timeline. Instead, it focused on the glory we will experience someday. It gave me a hope I had long ago buried and left my imagination to fill in the beautiful details. Now, I see our final destination as something to anticipate and savor—it is the prize Paul talked about in Philippians.

Philippians 3:14 (AMP)

I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

As Christians, this is a big part of our “why.” When things get tough—and they do—we must cling to our hope. I believe we need to remember it and give it a proper place in our thoughts so that when dark thoughts invade or a diagnosis changes our circumstances in an instant, we can recall our hope in Christ.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen heaven portrayed as boring. It infuriates me! Let’s put those silly thoughts aside and call them what they are—lies meant to destroy our hope. Floating around on clouds playing harps is pure eye-roll material. It’s time we flesh this thing out in our minds.

But how do I know the details? I don’t. I am no more qualified than anyone to talk about heaven. So I humbly present my imaginings—take them with a grain of salt. Is it wrong to think about such things? I don’t think so. Life on earth is harsh. We need hope. And heaven is our hope. So, in the name of hope, read on.

Many believe that at some point in the future, God will renew the earth and bring us back to live here. They believe—and I do too—that we will live again in the flesh, conducting life but without pain, aging, or death. Nothing will harm us, and there will be no cancer or Alzheimer’s.

In my vision of the New Earth, there is no garbage or trash dumps because there is no decay or pollution. Toys never break, and cars are always pristine. However, I won’t drive, because I hate driving, so I’ll simply teleport wherever I choose. I will have an Olympic-sized swimming pool that’s always the perfect temperature, and no one will ever worry about drowning. I’ll have all my beloved pets back, running free because there’s no danger. I’ll be called to create beautiful quilts for my friends, and I will dance gracefully and joyfully. I’ll speak eloquently and be completely free of shyness. There will be mountains, deserts, and beauty everywhere. I might even pet a dinosaur.

It’s your turn now. Dare to imagine—and dare to hope.