Kingdom Happy

This past weekend my family and I took a short mini-vacation to the Magic Kingdom – Disneyland. Disneyland has been billed as the happiest place on Earth –which is entirely debatable if you’re a young parent standing in a 90-minute wait line for a three minute attraction while trying to pacify tired, cranky children. Now that my children are grown the happiest place on Earth is truly a magical place because those whiny, complaining little ones belong to other people now.

Before heading home from our mini-vacay my husband and I stopped to visit an aged Aunt who has been living in a nursing home for some time. This woman suffered a debilitating stroke that should have ended her life five years ago, but somehow she has survived and thrived despite the doctors’ initial prognosis.

Our two hour visit was about as far removed from the happiest place on Earth as one can get. The halls of the facility were littered with ailing seniors hunched in wheelchairs. Room after room was filled with the sights, sounds and smells that one would expect from a residence dedicated to those nearing the end of their life’s journey.

While our visit with the Aunt was lovely, I spent the next few hours on the long ride home pondering life — but mostly death, wondering what to expect when that day finally arrives. Facing our mortality can be a scary thing for most of us – but for those who are aged and alone, the prospect must be terrifying.

Unless of course, you are like Bernice, a woman we spoke with during our visit. Bernice was surprisingly upbeat and excited for an opportunity to talk with someone she’d just met. After a few brief moments her positive outlook was clearly due to the fact that she was a Christian. She may not have been Magic Kingdom happy, but she was definitely Kingdom of God happy. Bernice restored my hope that it is possible to be content even when facing the end of life.

For anyone struggling with death, the Bible is very clear on what to expect after death with regards to Heaven and Hell. Here are some biblical facts about heaven. It is … God’s dwelling place (Psalms 33:13); where Christ is today (Acts 1:11); where Christians go when they die (Philippians 1:21-23); the Father’s house (John 14:2); a city designed and built by God (Hebrews 11:10); a better country (Hebrews 11:16) and paradise (Luke 23:43).

Some examples of what Hell is like are found in II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 21:8, Matthew 25:41, Mark 9:47-48; Revelation 20:10 and Matthew 13:41-42. There are many more Scriptures on both subjects of Heaven and Hell and Biblegateway.com is an excellent resource site for further study.

We ALL are facing death, though many of us may have more time than others before that final death knell tolls. If we know Jesus our home awaits us and will truly be the happiest place on Earth while without Christ, Hell will be worse than the most depressing nursing home or the longest theme park wait line imaginable.

With God’s help we can choose a good attitude and be Kingdom of God happy or we can live in fear and grumble and complain. The end result will be the same as the death knell eventually tolls for all.

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. Philippians 1:21 (NLT)

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy K.