Heaven on Earth

I just got back from my second mini-vacation to Outerbanks, NC this month. The first one was spent with my family in Nags Head and the second one was spent with friends in Corolla. OBX is my favorite vacation spot! It's like my personal heaven on earth. Why? Because first of all, it's the beach. My family and I absolutely love the beach, love the water, etc. Growing up, my family and I went on vacation to OBX every single summer. It has so many family memories wrapped up into this one location. It has great restaurants (Pizzazz Pizza...my favorite pizza place!), great shops, cool places to see (Jockey's Ridge Sand Dunes, wild horses, lighthouses), and so much more! It's only 2 hours away from my home which makes it a feasible weekend getaway spot for a fun camping trip at Oregon Inlet. I love everything about OBX. It even has one of my favorite restaurants there now called Plaza Azteca. The only thing missing from it that would make it the perfect heaven on earth is a Chipotle! But what I like most about Outerbanks is the bonding with nature and with God that I do while I am there staring out at the vast oceans with my feet in the sand, the wind in my hair, and the beautiful sunsets. It's so beautiful. I love just sitting in quiet at the oceanfront feeling God's presence in the beauty of nature all around me. That's truly what makes it my personal heaven on earth.

So, what do I really think about Heaven? Is it going to have Plazas or Chipotles or Sand Dunes or Beaches? Well, to be honest, I don't really know about the specifics of what will be in Heaven. I do acknowledge it is a place where believers and followers of Jesus Christ will spend eternity with our Creator after we pass away from this life (John 3:16). I do believe it is a place that will have no sickness, death, pain, sadness, or depression (Rev 21:4). I believe that Heaven will be a place filled with angels and man alike worshiping God (Rev 7:9-12). I believe that it is an eternal place with no end in sight. A place of light and no darkness, a place of joy and no sadness, a place of peace and no chaos. I believe there will be singing and I believe there will be feasting. I believe we will be in the presence of the Lord and nothing else will really matter. I look forward to that day when I will see my Lord face to face. What a glorious day that will be! In the meantime, I can only imagine it will be far greater than Outerbanks and its beaches, restaurants and more. I am glad God has created beautiful heavenly havens like OBX that give us humans glimpses into his beautiful, masterful creation....and perhaps a glimpse into Heaven.