Lenten Photo a Day Challenge - Day 16: Heaven

Hmmm, what happened to days 10-15???? Well, both good and bad reasons are behind my not posting or writing about any Lenten Photo each day for most of the past week.  Day 10's word was "meatless" on my list - and I'm not Catholic so I enjoyed eating meat (but didn't want to offend any Catholics who were abstaining).  I did take a photo for Day 10: Witness, but only posted it on Instagram.  Day 11 was Sunday and I give myself a day of rest.  Then the next few days were a blur.  A very important person in our lives went to see Jesus last week and Tuesday we gathered to say our "farewells" and "see you laters."  It was, to say the least, emotionally draining.  We returned home last night and this morning I looked at my list of words.

Today's word, Day 16, is "Heaven."  A word of comfort, hope, promise.

I'm no stranger to the face of death.  I've seen it more than I've wanted to and felt its cold presence.  I am not afraid of it, though.  I know that the cold and dark can be moved aside with the presence of hope.  And I cling fiercely to that hope.  If you are a Christian you know what I'm talking about.  It's the hope we have in Jesus.  It's the hope that is ours because we have the promise and gift of eternal life.  It's the hope that assures me that although I've had to say my farewells to my grandma, my dad, my mom, my Uncle, my husband's grandparents, friends, and most recently our very much loved Doug - a friend, mentor, uncle, and father to us, I know that our farewell is only for the time we have here.  All these people loved Jesus and believed in his promise of eternal life.  They knew that He is the way, the truth, the source of real and eternal life.  And so I live in hope that when it is my time to be free of this earthly body and return to Heaven, I will see my Savior and then be reunited with these loved ones.
What will heaven be like?  I think it's more than our human brains can possible understand at this point. No photo I take could really show heaven. My photo for today is an instagram of another photo - a favorite of my parents on their wedding day.  When I think of heaven, my heart feels a longing - for Jesus, for my parents, for Doug, for those I knew on earth who live in heaven now.  What do you see and feel when you think of heaven?  I hope it makes you smile and live in hope.