Reposting: This is Not Our Life

I am reposting this because the original video links changed after publishing it.  The video links have been fixed and should now display correctly.

 

God led me to watch the following three videos, which I’m sharing here with hopes that you’ll watch them, too. 

 

I understood why He led me to these videos once I saw the young man had a dangerous heart condition, similar to our Princess Chrissie.  (The specific heart condition wasn’t the same, but the dangerous part was.)

 

 

I believe Chrissie experienced that same peace this young man did.  I believe Chrissie wanted to come back to us the first two times she died (when God miraculously returned her to us), but on the third time her heart stopped, I believe Chrissie wasn’t wanting to leave that place in Paradise. 

 

Three years after Chrissie’s passing to live with Jesus, I feel like I finally understand the reality that heaven is our real home, better than anything we can fathom.  While I will always long to be reunited with Chrissie, my focus has changed to desiring all of us to be in heaven rather than wishing Chrissie were still on earth with us.  She is truly in Paradise.  Why would I wish to remove her from such a splendor beyond description?

 

I was telling my friend the other day that I feel like I finally get it.  I finally feel like I truly get how much greater heaven is.  More than mere words of how awesome heaven will be, in a way, I feel like I’ve had a teeny tiny taste of heaven.  It’s impossible to explain because I obviously haven’t experienced or visited heaven.  Perhaps God has just given me glimpses of the life my daughter is living.  These glimpses have given me a peace beyond understanding.  I feel as though my limited understanding of heaven has helped me to understand that if God allowed Chrissie to return to earth, it might feel to Chrissie a little like living homeless and sleeping in a cardboard box after experiencing the splendor of living and breathing in God’s Kingdom, dwelling in His presence, in His castle. 

 

The young man featured in the first two videos, Ben, seemed to feel the same way, without describing it in the same words. 

 

There’s just no comparison between heaven and earth.

 

 

Ben’s sister spoke at his funeral (in the third video), and I LOVED this quote:

“This is not our life.  Our life is eternal, and that is God’s gift to us.  And this life is our gift to God.”  -Ally Breedlove, sister to Ben Breedlove (who now lives with Jesus)

 

What incredible wisdom and truth spoken by Ally. 

 

I pray I will live this life with truth, joy, love, sacrifice, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and selflessness, as a gift to our God.  Help me, Lord, to live my life with my focus on giving You a gift, living my life for You always.  Thank You for giving Chrissie her gift of eternal life.  I know her life on earth was an incredible gift to not only You, Lord, but to many around the world.  If I can live my life with just a portion of everything Chrissie gifted us (and You) with, I will have run this race well, but I can only do this through You, Jesus.  Thank You for always staying by my side, for carrying me when I couldn’t stand or walk, and thank You in advance for helping me throughout my future on earth, until I receive Your gift of living with You in heaven.

I just found this photo Chrissie took at our house using my phone (a Blackjack phone) in January 2010.  Oh my!  Incredible!  Powerful!  Thank You, Jesus!