Travel Plans

I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.

Psalm 84:2 (NLT)

I don’t know about you, but I really look forward to vacation time. It’s a time to relax, unwind, have fun, and just slow down the hectic pace of life for a bit. But, there are others in my family who look forward to vacation even more – my kids. Months before our planned departure, they begin to needle Michelle and me with detailed questions about what the trip will be like. They ask questions like, “What’s the water temperature of the pool at the hotel?” or “What kind of snacks will they serve on the plane ride?” They leave no detail to spare. Though I pour over websites searching for the answers, they can’t possibly come up with an FAQ of every question a kid might ask. Of course, the answer to most of these questions is “I have no idea. You’ll just have to wait to find out.” This doesn’t sit well with them, nor does it stop them from asking other follow-up questions. My wife and I have contemplated whether we want to even tell them in advance of our vacation plans or just spring it on them the night before so we only have 24 hours of unanswerable questions rather than a few months’ worth.

I get it. Kids get excited about things that have the potential to be fun, or unique. With kids, their excitement gushes out of them; while most adults try to hold in their enthusiasm a bit. When it comes to our final destination, I believe the kids have it right.

As our Psalmist puts it in today’s verse, “I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD.” Let me put this in more modern paraphrase: “I get so excited about Heaven that I hyperventilate.” (That’s when you start breathing so fast you feel like you’re going to pass out.)

Please forgive this following question, but when did we lose our passion and excitement for Heaven? Why does the wonder and marvel of eternity not burst forth in our words and actions? Shouldn’t we be uber-excited to go to the most incredible destination in the universe?

We need to recapture that childlike excitement for our final destination. We need to dream about what it will be like. We need to study the Scriptures to learn as many details as we can about what to expect. We need to tell others about our pending departure and invite them along – the King has paid the admission price for all who want to go.