Homesick

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit my friend's church and hear 90 Minutes in Heaven author Don Piper speak. Don Piper was in a terrible accident in 1989 and was pronounced dead on the scene only to come back to life ninety minutes later. In this book he recounts his ninety minutes in Heaven, how it felt to come back, and his long and painful road to recovery. Just reading his story is so powerful; however, actually hearing him tell it was overwhelming. I kept thinking to myself that I needed to be taking notes but I was too caught up in his story to take my eyes off of him. He is a humble man with a miraculous story. I wish I could share everything he said but I'll take a few lines to share what I loved most about hearing his story.
What Christian doesn't want to hear about Heaven?? I remember when Avery was younger he would ask me about Heaven. Mainly his questions were very child like- Do you think there are toys in Heaven? Will there be a McDonalds there....? As he's grown older and with the experience he has been through with my mother living with us through her illness and death and with his own growth in the Lord, his questions have become more poignant. What will Nana look like when I see her in Heaven? Who will I see in Heaven?
As I was listening to Mr. Piper speak about his experience, I was overcome with emotion. He spoke about seeing his grandfather waiting to greet him and how his scarred hands were now perfect. He described his great grandmother and how for the time he had known her on earth, she had been bent over from osteoporosis and had always worn false teeth. When she greeted him at the gate in Heaven, he said the first thing he noticed was how upright she was standing and then he saw her smile, her real smile.
He spoke about many people who greeted him in Heaven and it was only once back on earth and laying in a hospital bed for months that he realized what each of the people who had greeted him had in common. Each and every person who came to greet him at the gate had played a part in getting Mr. Piper there. He spoke about seeing his childhood next door neighbor and at the time wondered why in the world she was there to greet him. After figuring out what everyone had in common, he realized that his childhood neighbor was there to greet him because she had for many, many Sundays picked him up to take him to church when his mother had no way to get them there.
Driving home, I kept thinking about who will greet me in Heaven. And of course I thought about my momma and daddy. How wonderful it would be to see them healthy and perfect! Avery was thinking the same thing. As we were driving back home he said he wished that Jesus would just come on back and take us all to Heaven so he could see Nana and see her walking. Avery and I are a lot alike and that makes us butt heads quite often but it also makes us "get" each other so much more than anyone else. :) Love, love his sweet heart.
As much as that part of Mr. Piper's story hit home with me, there was something else that hit me hard. I got all caught up in thinking who will greet me when I get to Heaven and wow what a wonderful thing to think about. But then, I began to think about who will I greet when they get to Heaven. Who had I helped get there? . I struggle with sharing my testimony- I admit it. Its not because I don't love the Lord. And if I love the Lord, I need to be sharing that not only in the way I live my life and in my actions but in my words.
The following song has been one of my favorites for a while. Makes me cry every time I hear it. I've added the video and the lyrics are below it. It seemed to perfectly fit this post.





Homesick by MercyMe
You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now