Heaven is...

I teach the Bible to third graders. It is an honor. They see God with fresher, keener eyes.

A few weeks ago I listened to them tell me about Heaven. I loved the smiles on their faces and the excitement in their eyes. I especially loved these picture words from the oh-so-innocent, doe-eyed Ella Fox. I loved them so much I decided to print them as is, word for perfect word.

She said, all at once, without (it seemed) a single breath:

Miss Jennifer, I drew a picture of Heaven, well three pictures, but they’re one picture and they’re on the wall at my house.

In the first picture my aunt and granny are walking on a really long red carpet and there are doors all along the carpet and a name on every door and my aunt says to my granny, “Let’s get coffee.”

The second picture is of a long, long, long table with silver plates on it and big silver cups, goblets, and food piled high and everybody has a chair like a throne and the table is in a giant room with a skylight.

The third picture is of my grandfather putting up a tent outside and Skippy is running around the tent barking [she giggles] and the sun is shining and there are flowers everywhere.

I hung on every one of these words as she said them, smiling so big my face hurt later, tears dripping down my cheeks. 

I think, should I draw a picture of Heaven, mine would look a lot like Ella’s.

Heaven is coffee with people we love. Heaven is your name known and printed on a door to a room prepared just for you. Heaven is a feast with fancy flatware, everything soaked in special. Heaven is sitting at one table. Heaven is silliness and sunshine and reunion.

What about for you? Fill in the blank: Heaven is _____________________.