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I read daily blogs and stories of families that are living among us with their hearts broken and dealing with the unimaginable pain of the loss of a child.
I have compassion. I have prayed so may times in my life for God to make me more like Him. To let me love, feel and care for others just has He would love, feel and care. He, I believe, has answered those prayers. When I read a story, or see first hand someone dealing with pain or the loss of a loved one. I don't just witness the situation and then go about my busy life. I feel the situation with them. My emotions will take my mind to 'that' place, and it will allow me to place myself in the shoes of another, getting a glimpse of what they must be experiencing.
With being able to take myself there emotionally, I feel it then gives me the ability to pray for these people in ways that some wouldn't think to pray for them.
I don't know.
I can't fully explain what I am trying to say. All I know is that I feel different. I feel like I have walked so many lives of other people. I have found myself awake in the middle of the night, with that feeling a panic, as a parent that just lost a child would feel. I have felt my heart race. I have felt my chest struggle to breath. I have felt so much pain just by other's painful experiences in life.
The other night I laid in bed. I had my eye mask on and Mark was next to me reading his book. He probably thought I was fast asleep, as I laid there in deep thought. When out of my mouth I spoke these words....
Me: "do you believe we will know each other in heaven?"
Mark: (His response was a moment of silence. Probably confused by the question out of no where or wondering if I am talking in my sleep. )
Then he replied: "no, I don't think we will."
Me: begin to silently cry.
Me: begin to not breath because I am trying to not let him know I am crying under my eye mask.
Me: can't control it anymore and I begin to weep out loud, still with eye mask on over eyes.
Mark: "honey, what's wrong?"
Me: "I didn't like that answer." (my cry just got ridiculous now.)
Mark: "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that. I don't know the answers to that. I just think that we wouldn't know each other."
Me: "I don't like that answer."
Mark: "babe, what do I know? I could be wrong. Here let me look it up." (As he grabs his bible and start fumbling through the pages.)
Mark: "I just believe that our purpose when we get to heaven is to glorify God. Even if we don't know each other in heaven, it won't matter. You won't be sad about it. You will be thrilled to be in the presence of God. You wont' remember your life on earth."
Me: (not moving mask from face still.... wiping snot down my cheek.)
Mark: "reading some scripture...."
Me: (can't remember anything he read.)
Mark: "babe?"( as he continues to browse the bible.)
Me: finally getting a hold of myself a little "its okay, you can stop searching the bible."
Mark: "I don't think you will care not being married or knowing me in heaven....." (thinking I would be upset to not know him as my husband in heaven)
Me: (sort of getting annoyed now and a little cranky...expressed myself with a little deeper tone) "I don't care to be married to you in heaven!!!" (laughing now, but at the time, not so much.)
Mark: (his eyes opened wide and afraid to speak)
Me: "I just want my children to know that I am their mom in heaven. I just want to know my babies in heaven. Because if I don't know them in heaven, then it takes the joy of me being excited to go to heaven. I don't want to ever not know them or them not know or remember me. Why put all this effort into love, relationships and family if we can't even be together and know each other in heaven."
Mark: "I don't have the answers, honey."
Then I went to Nashville. Remember this post?
I spoke with Pete Wilson (a pastor friend in Nashville) about this topic with in the first hour of meeting him face to face. He said that he does believe we will know each other in heaven. He sent me several scriptures from the bible that he believes supports his thoughts about heaven.
Although, I will not post them all here. I am curious as to what you think about this topic? I know it can be a very sensitive topic. I know as a parent that has lost a child, this can be a very painful and scary topic. It is for me too.
I am excited to go to heaven. Its supposed to be this wonderful, joyful thing. The whole purpose of living out our purpose here on earth, so to live eternity in heaven. I never feared dying or going to heaven before. When I was young, single and with no children, I never feared at the thought of dying too soon.
Now that I have children, my heart is tied. My heart has two small people that look to me for their needs. Two little people that give me reason to wake up each day and breath. The two very beings that are gifts given to me (loaned even) by God here on earth.
So, the very thought of not knowing these gifts, these children in heaven or them not knowing me as their mother really struck a sensitive spot deep within my heart.
Although, I know there are no tears in heaven. What about those families that lost loved ones or a child way too soon? What about those parents that believe they will see their little baby again in heaven? Will they?
To not believe that would happen is almost unbearable to think of for me.
Why go through all this heartache, trial, pain and EMOTION, if you are not able to celebrate our imperfect lives here on earth, perfectly together in heaven? God speaks about restoring all things as it was meant to be on earth, in heaven. Pete (pastor friend) said "so that leaves me to also believe God means relationships and families will be restored perfectly in heaven as it was meant to be here on earth."
I like that answer better.
I have searched this question a little. I have found many scriptures and many opinions. I still don't know the answer and I think that I may never know until I am there.
Until then, I can only imagine and hope that my children will know me in heaven.
What do you think?
Will my children know me in heaven?
Will they know me as their mother?
Will we greet each other and worship Jesus together?
Will parents get to see their babies and hold them again in heaven?
Will I know YOU in heaven?
Will we sit at the feet of Jesus like children ourselves? His children?
Your thoughts?
15 Personal Thoughts:
I definitley think our children will know us, as well as family and friends. :)
I DO think we will know each other in heaven. I don't think there is any sripture that states that emphatically - but I can't believe that all the love and effort we have poured into our relationships here on earth would just vaporize.
So I choose to believe that we WILL know our children and husband there. It is an interesting question.
I hope you find peace with your conclusion.
xoxo
Wanda
Clearly nobody knows for sure but I thought I would give you guys the scripture that leads me to believe that we will recognize people in heaven.
1. Luke 9:28-33 "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 2As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." NIV
Although Peter had never met Moses and Elijah, he recognized them and suggested to build 3 tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. This leads us to believe Not only will we be able to recognize our loved ones, we will recognize our heroes of the faith as well.
2. Matt 28:9-10 "Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." NIV
When Jesus was resurrected His disciples recognized Him.
3. Luke 16:19-26 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'" NIV
The rich man recognized Lazarus when he went to heaven.
4. Deuteronomy 31:16 shows that the destiny of Moses is described when God said, "Behold, you will rest with your fathers."
Why would “resting” with your fathers be significant if you didn’t recognize them.
6. 2 Kings 22:20 says that it was a comfort when the prophetess Huldah told the good King Josiah he would be "gathered to his fathers."
Now if he were not going to recognize them, why would it be a comfort at all?
7. In Matthew 22:30, Jesus said, "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven."
Now, this passage proves a couple things. It’s likely we won’t be “married” in heaven. But this doesn’t mean we won’t recognize each other. In fact it says we’ll be like the angels. And if you look through Scripture the angels of heaven surely know and recognize each other; some are even mentioned by name in the Bible.
8. Revelation. 22:12 "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
How or why would God reward or punish someone who has no memory of his human life back on earth, and who has no idea what he is being rewarded or punished for?
I really do not know if we will know each other as husband/wife/child in Heaven. But I certainly do believe that once you are there you will experience an equal sense of love and belonging from everyone on the same level that you do now with your family here. So, in essence your true family will grow from those that you loved here on Earth to everyone you meet in Heaven.
Pete references some very compelling scripture that I believe supports the micro-level reasoning of why we will know each other in Glory.
On a macro level, relationships are such an underlying theme in so much scripture they must be important to God. The institution of marriage and the relationship between parents and children are prominent in the Ten Commandments and are throughout parables by Jesus. The very relationship between Christ and His church are compared to marriage.
Of course it's completely my opinion, but I can't help but feel with so much emphasis on relationships in God's word we will know each other in heaven. I look forward to that day standing beside my brothers and sister in Christ praising our Creator!
Thanks Misty! You brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart today! God bless.
Of COURSE we'll know each other in heaven! Otherwise, God wouldn't have made relationships and love the core of our lives. If we didn't have relationships here on earth we'd die. Simple as that. So, to create something as strong as that, I absolutely cannot immagine life in heaven without my loved ones. I think LOVE (and those you deeply love) is going to be the ONE common thing between heaven and earth. That one thing will stay...and only get stronger and more perfect (as Pete said) in heaven.
I don't know if anyone else believes this, but I think that our loved ones who have gone to Heaven are always having conversations with Lord Jesus about us down here. Watching over us, rejoycing over us.
I spent a lot of time wondering about this and reading about it. I like the scriptures Pete has left. As a mommy whose son is in heaven, I have to believe that we will know each other in heaven. I have to believe that I will get to see my Isaac again, to know him as my son, and that he will know me as his mom.
The pictures you posted with this post are beautiful!
~ Stacy
Good post...makes me think...I have never doubted that I will know my loved ones in heaven. I think of my grandparents that are already there and can't wait for the day that I can hug them again.
I love your new page...you did GOOD!!!!
Misty,
I think you would gain a lot from reading Heaven by Randy ALcorn. I have a friend who lost her 19 month son and this book was great for her "new found" enthusiasim for Heaven. Also, a more condensed version is, In Light of Eternity, also by ALcorn. Check it out :)
I think we will know each other. I think we will know what relationship we had on earth, but I personally think we will love everyone in heaven the same way. How else could a person bear it if one of their loved ones didn't make it to heaven? I don't have any scriptural backing for that but just my opinion.
You ought to read "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper. It's an amazing book I've read more than once. If he is correct, it seems there will be all ages in heaven. I'm not sure if it would be the age we are at when a person dies (for instance, if my mother died when I was 20, would she perceive me as a 20 yr old in heaven? and my father died when I was 50, would he perceive me as a 50 yr old?) According to Mr Piper, he saw his grandparents just as they looked when they died except unwrinkled and standing straight but he saw a friend that died at a young age as just the age he was when he died.
Honestly, I will be very glad NOT to be married in heaven. It has not been a pleasant experience here on earth and I don't want to even think about having to be married in heaven.
It is all very interesting but I'm sure the very best thing will be to meet Jesus, who loved me, wretched and dispicable as I am, enough to die for me.
Misty, what a kind heart you have. I admire you so much. Your title to this post made me do a double take...where have I seen this recently? It was in the book I just read, Eric Clapton's autobiography...the part about the death of his young son Conor, which prompted him to write "Tears in Heaven" was so so sad. I cried and cried. I do believe that we will know our loved ones in heaven.
And I did have to laugh at your spat, or as I say "love squabble" w/ your honey. I know it was not funny at the time, but it makes a funny story. That answer, to me, just sounds so much like a man LOL. And I like your reply :-)
WOW.. I balled my eyes out while reading this because its something that I wonder EVERY day! The only way that I can get through the day is believing that Ashlynn is with me now and will be there with me when I go to Heaven. I start to feel sick the second I think any different. I do know one thing for sure though, Ashlynn is one happy little girl up there in Heaven and has sure changed many lives here on Earth.
Your thoughts are normal. I believe we will know and love one another in heaven.
This is a great post! I find so many people who are afraid to even discuss death and it is frustrating to figure things out with closed minds. I personally believe we will absolutely know each other in heaven, but in a different way. We will not be bogged down with the trivial details of human existance-the bickering and everyday silliness. We will live in grace and peace and harmony, which sounds hokey, but thats what I believe!! :)
I'm thinking the ones we knew on earth will also know us in heaven.
On the day my mother died, her neighbor man (a man in his 50s) came to offer his condolences. He & his family had kept an eye on her after my father died to make sure she was okay.
That evening he was taken to the emergency room with a complete blockage in his colon. Sadly, he passed away from cancer about 6 months later. In his last days in the hospital, he was very alert and lucid and I don't remember a time when he was "out of it". He didn't even suffer much pain so he didn't need alot of pain meds (to my recollection). Anyway, about a day before he died, he was talking with some visitors who'd come to see him and suddenly he pointed towards the corner of the ceiling and exclaimed "Look! there's _____" and he named my mother. I believe she knew who he was even though she was in heaven and was a part of his welcoming committee to heaven.
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