Heaven: No More Waiting

​Today is the final Sunday of Advent.

The final Sunday before Christmas.

Today, we wait still for Christmas, but its arrival will soon come.

I am thinking this morning - in the spirit of this final Sunday of Advent - that this is largely where life is lived: on the threshold between waiting and arrival.

I recently celebrated the birthdays of both of my sons. And I am reminded of the beautiful period of living between the waiting and arrival of their birth days.

But even then, even with their arrival, more waiting followed.

Waiting for their first steps. Their first words. Their first days of school. Does waiting ever end. Do we ever stop looking forward to arrival?

Are we ever really there?

Thursday, Christians will celebrate the arrival of the baby in a manger. The savior. And yet, we will no more be done with celebrating the arrival when we will be forced to commemorate his death, and then celebrate his subsequent rising from his grave.

All so that we can go back to waiting for him to arrive once again?

I live on this threshold between waiting and arrival in so many areas of my life. There are days when waiting punishes me. But I am thinking this morning, maybe that is not the purpose of waiting at all. Maybe waiting is sweet preparation.

For if you happen to believe what I believe, there will be a final arrival for us all. For me, I believe that arrival will be heaven. And I often ponder what that heaven will be like.

This morning I am imagining heaven as a place of no more waiting.

No more waiting on answers or love or healing or belonging or value.

No more waiting on tomorrow or beauty or unity.

No more waiting for civility and compassion and uninterrupted joy.

No more waiting.

I am not sure the sweet arrival into heaven can feel quite as glorious - supernatural - without immediately noticing the sweet relief; waiting is all gone.

We live on this threshold between waiting and arrival to prepare us to one day fully and forever celebrate that there are no more thresholds.

This week, treasure the waiting. It's a grand gift - a reminder - that the day is coming soon when we will experience the joy of never having to wait again.

Heaven.

No more waiting.

Are we ever really there? Yes. I believe we are.