Going Home to Glory

Two years ago I wrote a post called Asking “Why?” about my good friend who had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Recently my friend went home to be with the Lord. Her death was sudden but not unexpected, since she’d been dealing with the cancer for two years. In human terms, she was too young to die. She had far too much ahead of her and far too much yet to give.

Even in all this, though, the Lord’s goodness still shines through.

Since her diagnosis, God gave her two more years to spend time with her adult children and her husband, giving them time to prepare for her departure. She was able to meet four more of her five grandchildren, including a set of twin boys, now two months old.

She didn’t always feel great and was more and more tired as her treatments went on, but she supported her friends and family with her thoughts and prayers.

Her funeral was a testimony to the Lord’s grace and to her faithful service to Him. So many people testified of ways she’d checked up on them, of wisdom she’d shared with them, of her kindnesses, even in her exhaustion and illness.

Her friends and family are sad to see her go, because we won’t have her with us on this earth any more, but I can’t help but think of her now in the presence of her precious Lord.

When I think of seeing God, I envision a glorious light. That’s how He’s described in the throne room of heaven (Revelation 4). Jesus said He is the Light of the world (John 8:12); Isaiah declares that the Lord will be the everlasting light (Isaiah 60:20); and Revelation 21 says that there will be no need of the sun or moon in the New Jerusalem, because the glory of God will illumine it, and the Lamb will be its light.

I know my friend is standing in the presence of the Lord she worships, seeing Him as He truly is, surrounded by His glorious presence where there are no tears, no pain, no weariness.

You see, it’s more than a homegoing—it’s going to a place of unimaginable glory in the presence of God Almighty.

This children’s song keeps going through my mind:

Heaven is a wonderful place,
Filled with glory and grace!
I wanna see my Savior’s face.
‘Cause heaven is a wonderful place! (I wanna go there!)

Even though I miss her, I wouldn’t want her to have to leave her new glorious home!