Heavenly Thoughts

I’m not sure what spawned all the talk about death and heaven, but naturally for these discussions, Mara picked the day when Daniel almost called out of work because I have been so sick. Maybe she was worried after overhearing our conversation that I might not make it.

It always goes this way for me: moderate cold turns into terrible cough, sleepless nights, no voice. . . If I do talk, my cough is much worse. Laying down makes it worse, and basically unless there is warm liquid on my throat, I am coughing incessantly. So I drink soup and hot tea, recline on the hugest pile of pillows I can assemble, and pray for either sleep–or morning–to come quickly. Sometimes I cough for weeks before it goes away. Sometimes it turns into bronchitis or a sinus infection.

Of course, use of medications, even over-the-counter, is limited while breastfeeding, but I finally broke down and took Sudafed Saturday night when my ear and all the way down my jaw hurt so badly I thought we were going to have to drive to the nearest Minute Clinic as soon as they opened on Sunday.

Anyway, Daniel and I had a lengthy conversation Monday morning over whether he should stay home to help with the kids or not.

I was conflicted: Part of me thought that it’s pretty crazy to make my husband call out of work, because I’m sick, so he has to watch the kids. I mean, you just gut it out. There are hard days.

But then, I have had little to no sleep since Friday. I’m coughing all night long and most of the day. I do want to recover.  But it’s impossible to “not talk” with three kids, three and under. You are constantly instructing or correcting or answering questions or mediating. . . And then to that, add Mara’s vociferousness.

First, she told me that Tosta and Donna Eiselind are dead. . . Wow, she killed off her imaginary sisters! That’s an interesting twist. Hmmm. I’ll be curious to see if they are still dead tomorrow. A lot of her story-lines carry on for days, but this one seems so. . . irreversible.

Then I wondered, Does she even know what “dead” means?

Who’s to say?

In any case, she started asking questions about heaven:

“How will we get up to heaven, Mom? Because the sky is really high!”

“What are we going to do in heaven?” [We will get to see Jesus and God. We will worship God.]

“How long will we stay there?” [Forever.]

“Oh.” She looked disappointed, as if maybe that interfered with her other plans. “Because I really wanted to be with my family.”

“Will our whole family there? Will Daddy be there? Will Micah? and Carissa?”

“Will you? Because I want to be with my Mommy!”

“Will Grandma Bunton be there? Because I want to see her too.”

She doesn’t really understand yet. . .

Tonight as I shared her questions with Daniel we were reminded again to earnestly pray for our little ones that the eyes of their hearts will be opened; that God will reveal Himself to them and draw them to Himself; and that they will accept the forgiveness Christ offers as they trust in His work on the cross to pay for their sin.

Because we really want to see them in heaven too!