Heaven Bound

We have always had a lot of discussions about heaven at our house. When our Pastor V. went to heaven unexpectedly (o.k. so I realize that God was not surprised be we down here sure were and not in a good way!) about 1 1/2 yrs ago the conversations intensified. My kids were desperate to know why he got to go and why we couldn't right now and when we could. We had a lot of interesting talks about this, even mass suicide (then we could go right away, we wouldn't have to wait!), don't worry I talked J out of this one real quick! :o) Thinking I was being ever so smart I explained that Jesus had said He was going to heaven to prepare a place for us and so we needed to wait until our house was ready. This went over real well and when the daily question of "Can we go today?" came up I could gently remind them that evidently our house wasn't ready. I must have been feeling a bit smug about my parenting prowess because that phase didn't last long! When my brother Nathan died 8 1/2 months ago (followed in about a 3 month period by 2 adopted Grandmas and my Great-Grandma) our discussions on heaven and all things death related intensified again. Though my cute little answer about our house still being "in the works" went over for a little while it wasn't long before J (my super thinker) said "it's o.k. if it's not ready Mom. I'll just live with Jesus or Uncle Nathan til it is!" Poor mommy! Now I have to think of a new explanation! So, my current "speech" is that God has special jobs that He wants us to finish BEFORE we can go to heaven and evidently we haven't done them all yet! Hopefully this answer will bide me a bit more time! LOL!
So, the other night during our devotions, I was reading the story of God showing Moses His glory, how he hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and only let him see his back. To see God's face would be too much for Moses and he would die. We sort of acted out part of the story so that hopefully it would stick with them and as we were doing that the questions started. "Would I die if I saw God's face?" When I go to heaven will I die if I see God's face?" "Why will seeing Him here kill us but not in heaven?", etc........ We then had the following conversation:
B: "We have to die to go to heaven"
J: "Yes, wait no, remember there was that man Elijah and God sent down ponies and a chariot wagon thingy? He didn't have to die, did he?"
Me (in utter shock that she remembered this story. We havn't gone over it in a long time, maybe she's paying more attention to the sermons than I realized! Our Pastor recently went through this story at church): "No, he didn't die. Good job remembering!"
J: "I am going to pray that God will send ponies and a chariot thingy tonight that's big enough for all 5 of us because I don't want any of us to be left here and all lonely"
B: "Yeah, I like ponies!"
Me (Inwardly - AMEN SISTER! I AM WITH YOU ON THIS ONE!!!) Outwardly: Well, that would be great.......
J interupts: Good then we can go to heaven tonight without dieing!
Me: Well, God could do that but He might not. He might say that He has a better plan.
J: Why? What?
Me: Well, maybe there are more jobs for us to do here. Maybe there is someone that we need to tell about Jesus first.
J: Oh, o.k., can still pray about it?
Me: Of course!

So if we disappear it may just be because we went to heaven in a chariot thingy made for 5 that is being pulled by ponies! :o)

Speaking of dieing....... my posts may not have pics for a long time as my camera died yesterday. It has been my almost constant companion for 4-5 years and I am very sad that it is gone. I don't know if it is repairable or even where I could go to get it fixed! It was a Nikon coolpix 4500 that my sweet hubby got me as a gift....... yesterday was a bad day!