July 2, 2016

We hiked into Marion Lake yesterday. I’ve never done anything quite like that before. We had to carry all our camping gear. You heard me. We carried everything.

A word to the wise: don’t go three years without any attempt at regular exercise, then try to hike three miles uphill with a loaded backpack and a loaded frontpack. Listen, it won’t be the charming family adventure you pictured in your head. It’ll be more like…what’s the word I’m looking for?...TORTURE.

It was painful just wearing the packs, not to mention carrying them uphill. For miles.

But about halfway to our destination, as Ivy and I were plodding along slowly and painfully, way behind the guys, she said something profound. She said, “Mom, sometimes when I’m hiking something really difficult, I like to think about the place I’m going. It makes me want to keep going and not give up. It makes me think this will be worth it.”

I sensed an important moment. I said, “Yes! Me too! It helps to think of the lake and how pretty it will be. And Ivy, life is like that too. It helps to think of Heaven. Life can be really hard sometimes, especially when you’re an adult. Sometimes it helps me to think of Heaven and look forward to how awesome it will be. No more sorrow, no more pain. And we get to be with Jesus!”

And then my wise little bean said, “Yeah, it’s kind of like this hike. We have to walk the hard path of life, but then our destination is Heaven. And when we get there it’s the most fun place we’ve ever been!”

Oooh, I love her.

And when we finally got to Marion Lake, this is what we saw.

We made it.

The Bible says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20

I love thinking about Heaven. Especially when times get hard. I know where my destination lies.

There’s a song by Carrie Underwood called “Temporary Home.” The last part of the song goes like this:

“Old man, hospital bed

The room is filled with people he loves

And he whispers, ‘Don’t cry for me

I’ll see you all someday’

He looks up and says, ‘I can see God’s face’

‘This is my temporary home

It’s not where I belong

Windows in rooms that I’m passin’ through

This was just a stop

On the way to where I’m going

I’m not afraid because I know

This was my temporary home’”

I love that!