We are really excited about this weekend. My brother, Chuck, his wife, Diane and their son, David, are coming to Clearwater for a visit. (The only disappointment is that their daughter Laura Beth will not be here. She and her husband and son live in Australia.)
I can already tell you most of what will take place this weekend. Since all of our brood, kids and grandkids, will be here, the house will be active. Chuck and I will regale (some might say bore) everyone with old stories (which they have heard many times) and my children will talk about how much we are alike. We have the same mannerisms, laugh, smiles, and sense of humor. It is going to be a great visit.
My brother was my spiritual mentor. When I was about 10 years old and Chuck was about to go to college to prepare for the ministry, I had a “crisis of faith.”
“Chuck, I have a problem.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know about heaven.”“
What do you mean, you don’t know about heaven.”
[To my preacher friends, I am so sorry for the following admission.]
“If all we are going to do is sit in church and sing songs all day long, and then listen to preachers preach sermons all day long, I’m not really sure I want to go there.”
“What would you like to do in heaven?”
“Play baseball.”
“Bob, imagine the best baseball game you can. You hit a homerun every time you are up to bat. You catch every ball hit to you. All of your friends will be in the stands cheering for you. Heaven will be even better than any baseball game you can imagine.”
[Then he made the transition which has enabled his teaching about heaven to continue to help me, even today, maybe even especially today.]
“Bob, I know this is hard to believe, but there will probably come a day when you won’t like baseball like you like do today. Someday, the idea of doing nothing but playing baseball may not seem so wonderful. But, whatever you do like, whatever your favorite thing is, remember that heaven will be even better than the best you can imagine.”
I can’t tell you how many times over the years I have sat in churches when pastors try to capture heaven for the congregation. I always say to myself – “Pastor, heaven is even better than anything you can imagine.”
[In an effort to hopefully redeem myself with the clergy, now that I am older and hopefully wiser, I am looking forward to the singing and preaching!]
Thanks, Chuck, for all of the lessons you taught and thanks for the weekend that I know we are going to have.
I can already tell you most of what will take place this weekend. Since all of our brood, kids and grandkids, will be here, the house will be active. Chuck and I will regale (some might say bore) everyone with old stories (which they have heard many times) and my children will talk about how much we are alike. We have the same mannerisms, laugh, smiles, and sense of humor. It is going to be a great visit.
My brother was my spiritual mentor. When I was about 10 years old and Chuck was about to go to college to prepare for the ministry, I had a “crisis of faith.”
“Chuck, I have a problem.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know about heaven.”“
What do you mean, you don’t know about heaven.”
[To my preacher friends, I am so sorry for the following admission.]
“If all we are going to do is sit in church and sing songs all day long, and then listen to preachers preach sermons all day long, I’m not really sure I want to go there.”
“What would you like to do in heaven?”
“Play baseball.”
“Bob, imagine the best baseball game you can. You hit a homerun every time you are up to bat. You catch every ball hit to you. All of your friends will be in the stands cheering for you. Heaven will be even better than any baseball game you can imagine.”
[Then he made the transition which has enabled his teaching about heaven to continue to help me, even today, maybe even especially today.]
“Bob, I know this is hard to believe, but there will probably come a day when you won’t like baseball like you like do today. Someday, the idea of doing nothing but playing baseball may not seem so wonderful. But, whatever you do like, whatever your favorite thing is, remember that heaven will be even better than the best you can imagine.”
I can’t tell you how many times over the years I have sat in churches when pastors try to capture heaven for the congregation. I always say to myself – “Pastor, heaven is even better than anything you can imagine.”
[In an effort to hopefully redeem myself with the clergy, now that I am older and hopefully wiser, I am looking forward to the singing and preaching!]
Thanks, Chuck, for all of the lessons you taught and thanks for the weekend that I know we are going to have.
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Carol Mathews
Take care
Ted & Carol W
The Hahn Family (Marsha & Dale)