Over the course of a few years, my husband and I and some friends planned a trip to Italy. As the trip grew closer, my excitement grew as well. I had never been to this part of the world, so until our excursion became a reality, I had only vicariously placed myself in the pictures of rolling hills, imagined the dishes friends had described eating, and lived longingly through the delighted expressions of those who would think back on their own experiences in this part of the world.
So, yes, I was excited. However, my excitement level prior to the trip could have been misconstrued as lacking if compared to my husbandâs eagerness because when my husband anticipates something, he goes all in. I was perfectly happy to know the general gist of our exciting plans. He, on the other hand, watched documentaries, researched food, google-earthed various destinations, and talked about all the details. To everyone.
My first experience with his âall-in excitementâ came shortly after we were married when I discovered that my husbandâs enthusiasm for his favorite band, U2, went beyond what I assumed was typical. During our almost twenty years of marriage, we have followed the band (like, literally. We have literally followed the band), I have learned many interesting and unnecessary facts about the band, U2âs music has been blasted in every car weâve ever owned, and because he unabashedly expresses his âlikeâ for the group, many have shared U2 related news which is usually old news to him.
I truly enjoy the level of excitement my husband has for these pleasures in life because his enthusiasm is contagious. He could describe the best steak heâs ever had, and his excitement would make every vegetarian run to get it.
I thought about my husbandâs all-in enthusiasm when I read a recent article on the subject of heaven. In it, one statement stood out more than any other: many young people admit to imagining eternity with Jesus as boring.
They think heaven will be boring.
Perhaps as parents we have not done a good job talking about heaven or helping our kids to anticipate it with an all-in kind of excitement. Or perhaps, if weâre honest, weâve had similar thoughts about eternity, unintentionally passing on to the next generation the idea that heaven and excitement can’t really go hand in hand.
We talk a lot as Christians about the sanctification process in the here and now, but we donât often talk about the glory of whatâs to come. This has always been interesting to me because living eternally in a place that is perfectly restored is a reality for every single believer in Jesus. Thank God He has created His people with so much diversity, but amongst our many beautiful differences, there are two realities that every follower of Christ has in common: we believe in the one true God, and we will live forever with Him. How, then, can we as parents do a better job parenting our kids toward eternity?
Stop Creating Little Heavens
Our natural desire as parents is to want to protect our kids from difficulty and disappointment that we know is inevitable in this life. We certainly have a responsibility to protect them, but heart-ache is going to happen, and even our best-laid plans cannot stop it. But you know what? Thatâs not always a bad thing.
The times in my life I have grown the most spiritually and emotionally have been the times I have faced personal challenge or difficulty. And while it can be painful to watch our children struggle through disappointment, we have the opportunity to remind them that a bad day will not break them. By Godâs grace, we get up the next morning and move forward in His strength, and we continue doing this day by day, week by week, anticipating with all-in excitement the day when we will no longer have to deal with hurt feelings, bad grades, broken hearts, or daily frustrations.
The more we try to create little heavens for our children, the easier it is to lose sight of the new creation that awaits us; often it’s the hardships that make us anticipate glory. Rather than using all our efforts toward trying to keep our kids happy, wrestle with them through the challenges and find moments in the midst of the sadness to remind them that one day, our tears will be wiped away completely, and until that day comes, Jesus picks us up and carries us through the sometimes rocky path toward eternity. And in the moments of sheer happiness and joy, remind your children that what is to come will be even greater, even happier, even more magnificent, and never boring.
Start Talking About Eternity
I grew up with a father who could spread excitement in a similar way as my husband, and when it came to talking about the new heavens and the new earth, youâd think my dad was planning a trip to Disney World. At young ages, he would ask my sisters and I to use our imaginations and describe what we thought eternity with Jesus would be like. I dreamed of having my own cotton candy machine, and my younger sister declared she would have a Snoopy Snow Cone machine. We were almost giddy as he read Bible passages that talk about Godâs new and perfect creation, and He would end by reminding us that greater than all we could imagine is the reality that we will be with Jesus.
Dreaming and talking about what is to come made the idea of living eternally in a perfect world a reality rather than a myth. It made us excited about the realism of it instead of being wary of the boring possibility. But in order to build excitement in our kids, we have to be willing as parents to reflect on heaven, to think about it, sing about, and read passages that give us glimpses of it (Revelation 21 and 22; Isaiah 65 and 66). We become all-in excited about possibilities in life we look forward to. In the same way that we enjoy surprising our kids with a special gift or an unexpected trip, sharing the realities of eternity should be just as exciting.
Heaven will not be boring. Jesus talks clearly about the renewal of all things, and for resurrected bodies, boredom will be unthinkable. Our Creator is amazing. He is creative, he has no boundaries, and his glory and majesty are beyond what we can even begin to comprehend. If this is all true of Jesus, this will be true of the place He has made for His beloved children. This is a promise deserving of all-in excitement as we anticipate the glory of what is to come.
