In Heaven, there will be a garden.

As a child I would lay awake, envisioning what Heaven would be like. In my Heaven, there were huge mansions lining the golden streets. Angels with great wings and halos sat on every corner and played a harp. I would picture God, sitting on his throne while all of us bowed on our knees, worshiping Him. And when he spoke, music played in the distance. There was always a magical sunset in the distance, displaying every color imaginable, and some not. I would cuddle my pet lion every night as I drifted off to sleep. And in the morning I would make my way to the great buffet table of endless Lima beans. (What? Apparently I like Lima beans....a lot!)
When I became a mother, my vision changed a bit. There were still mansions and harp playing angels. God still sat on His throne. But I had begun to appreciate the smaller things in life. I looked at my sweet baby and thought, Heaven just wouldn't be complete without precious sleeping babies everywhere. I decided I would have a sleeping baby to cuddle with me and my lion. I also had begun to realize God's love for His children. As I gazed at my sleeping baby boy, the thought of any harm or pain coming to him was completely unbearable. I worried about his future and planned the demise of all who would come against him. I couldn't wait to watch him grow (slowly) into a young man and begin his journey in life. Now I could see God, in his throne, but not just basking in worship. He was worried. He was in love with a child that was destined to hurt Him, yet He still loved with His whole heart. He still sacrificed and cried for His children. I saw His face changing as He watched His children grow...slowly.
Yesterday I poured my usual morning coffee. I went to my garden to sit and watch it grow. Picking and pruning my way through, I gathered my bounty in a pile. Each red tomato made me grin. Every delicious cucumber made me happy to my core. And a sudden and new vision came into my head. God is not just sitting on a throne in the sky. He's not just watching the lives of His children. I see him in his gardening shoes, coffee in hand, planting seeds in his awesome garden! With sweat and blood, He works for us. With fertilizer and a rake, He readies the ground for the seed to be planted. No matter how hard the work, or how hot the sun, I know my God is up there, planting His seeds with such joy and anticipation of that delicious fruit that they will soon bear. I can feel His disappointment when He sees a big ripe red tomato, but upon furthur inspection finds it rotten on the bottom, and has to throw it to the side.
I'm excited at this new idea of Heaven! I can't wait to get up at first morning light, grab my coffee, and meet my God in the garden to help him sow seeds, and cast out the weeds that are choking His plants. Heck, maybe we'll even grow some Lima beans.

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10

What an artist my God is!!

Sitting on the plane filled with anticipation for my very first getaway vacation, I could barely contain my legs from bouncing and twitching. It was such a dreary day I closed the window shade and turned on my book lamp. Trying to read when I was that excited was a hard as trying to contain a child in a stroller at the fair.
Putting the book down, I opened my shade. There were no rain filled dark clouds. We had cleared the ominous skies that I had seen just moments ago, hovering over the airport. My heart was filled with peace as I gazed into the bright white clouds that looked like giant puffs of love. Now, anyone that knows me, knows that I have this incredible obsession with the sky. I can't explain it, but when I look into a sunset or see a cloud that overwhelms me, I can't look away. I feel suddenly that God put that there just for me, to show me how great He is. But this feeling was different.
It was as if I was looking directly into God's heart. I started imagining God, sitting in Heaven staring at this great canvas. When an artist sits before his canvas with his tools in his hand, his inspiration comes from inside. He may have an idea that stemmed from something he saw, but his interpretation of that idea is what comes bursting from his heart, onto that canvas, almost as if he could no longer keep it to himself. He must share this emotion by way of painting, or sculpting, or whatever his craft may be.
Now I'm just picturing God in Heaven, bursting with Love for us. I can see him in his painters smock painting happy little trees, right over here. Making smoosh sounds with each brush stroke as he decides which way the water should flow, and setting clouds free. Yes, apparently in my vision God talks like Bob Ross.
But what a great thought! How awesome is our God that this Earth is what came pouring out of His heart as he created! It started with an ocean that bursted out of his love and went on forever. You stand on the shore and see no end. Then it His glory bursted into the skies. Magnificent and ever watching, I have always said that if you listen closely, you can hear music in the sunset. Then a rainbow of flowers and trees, all displaying the purest of beauty and perfect smells. The great mountain came rolling out and stood to protect us and promised to give shelter from our enemies. What a heart has our God!
So next time you stand along the shores of that vast ocean, when you linger in the valley of that great mountain, and when you fly above the beauty of those awesome clouds, remember that they are not an accident. They are not a coincidence. Nor are they the boastings of a God that says "look what I can do." They are his heart. It is what is bursting inside of Him. Stop and revel in his magnificence and wonder. And understand how great an artist my God is.