Papa

A few days ago, as I read about Heaven in Wayne Grudem's Bible Doctrine, in my mind I got a picture of my Papa.  Papa, Ward Stanley Ostrander, went to Heaven on August 5, 2007.  He was a godly man who loved the Lord, his dear wife, his children and grandchildren, and the church. His story is compelling and I am grateful to be his granddaughter. Our son, Jake, is named after him: Jacob Ward.  The picture I got was of Papa, big smile on his face, standing tall with full head of hair.  He was younger than I knew him to be, full of joy and peace.  He was greeting my little one.  I realized then that he is there with them.  He has two great-grandchildren with him in that wonderful place!  What a joy it is for me to imagine them there.  Last night I couldn't stop imagining them walking in the presence of God.  I picture them, one on each side of Papa, holding hands, walking and talking with our Lord.  

The more I study Heaven, the more my perspective is adjusted, the more I long for the place.  I had peace when Papa died that he was with Jesus in Heaven, but I have never been more comforted by that thought than I have been recently. He is experiencing life without sin!  He has seen and is continually seeing the glory of God!  His body is changed and is no longer corrupted by sin and death!  I am thrilled that he is there and not here.  I miss my Papa and I am saddened by the knowledge that my children won't know him in this life.  But I will see him again!  Lord willing, my children will know him some day!  These are not just comforting daydreams made up to help us get by.  These things are true.  The bible is rich with evidence! Heaven is real.  I long to go there and to be with my Lord.  I long to be freed "from this body of death".  I long to worship God perfectly and to interact with family and friends perfectly and to live perfectly - that is, to do all of those things without sin!  Praise God for Heaven and home and for telling us what he has in his holy word!  Praise God that he has made a way, through Jesus' death and resurrection, for me and every believer to enter into this wonderful place!  

Our greatest joy will be in seeing the Lord himself and in being with him forever.  When John speaks of the blessings of the heavenly city, the culmination of those blessings comes in the short statement, "They shall see his face" (Rev. 22:4).  when we look into the face of our Lord, we will see there the fulfillment of everything that we know to be good and right and desirable in the universe.  In the face of God, we will see the fulfillment of all the longing we have ever had to know perfect love, peace, and joy, and to know truth and justice, holiness and wisdom, goodness and power, and glory and beauty.  As we gaze into the face of our Lord, we will know more fully than ever before that "in your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures for evermore" (Ps. 16:11)...When we finally see the Lord face-to-face, our hearts will want nothing else.  "Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you...God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Ps. 73:25-26).  Then with joy our hearts and voices will join with the redeemed from all ages and with the mighty armies of heaven singing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (Rev. 4:8)  (Grudem, Bible Doctrine, pg. 470)

Papa and our two little ones are already there.  Praise God!  Come, Lord Jesus!