Teaching Our Kids About Heaven: Is it Rational?

 When my husband Winston, and I were just 23 we had the opportunity to visit the big island of Hawaii. His company promised to cover expenses, including an airline ticket and 3 nights in a stunning, seaside resort.

Before-hand, there was some friendly debating between my father-in-law and I, as to who should accompany Winston. I had recently begun a new job, had zero paid leave, was too young to rent a car and was not exactly rolling in the dough.

Winston’s dad however, was unattached, retired and apparently had made wise fiscal decisions over the decades. He held the obvious position in the argument. But I was not, not going. Not without a fight, mind you.

In the months leading up to the trip, my older cousin (whom I always looked up to) was selling me on the island. She bi-annually visited Maui and had cast a vision for how remarkably beautiful the beaches were.

Being an ardent beach (and adventure) lover, I begged and begged Winston to ignore our miniscule savings account and take me.

My besieging apparently wore him down and being Mr.-laid-back-good-guy that he is, offered for dad to join us too.

The place is unquestionably breath-taking, and the trip was amazing, but not without hardship. Mid-week, a ten foot wave tossed my novice, boogey boarder self to the sand slamming my shoulder out of place. (Thus beginning the Deken shoulder curse-sorry Rory, Sean & Jill!)

But given the pain and disappointment of un-met expectations, my cousin’s words were still proven trust-worthy: Hawaii was indeed gorgeous and unlike any place I've ever seen. I certainly hope to go back but um yeah, not venture in the waves.

My foregone perception of Hawaii hinged on my cousin’s viewpoint. I could surmise Hawaii as truly wonderful because of my trust in my cousin and her words.

So what about heaven? Can we declare that it’s real? Is there a trustworthy viewpoint? If so, do we even have reason to want to go?

“Well I just don’t believe in heaven.” I think is a common rendering. 

  Amongst adults. 

 I get it. I too have moments of wavering faith in it's existence. After all, once you grow up, you get too old for fairy-tales right? 

The assumption that something is too good to be true does not always stem from reason but rather often, cynicism. Doubt and cynicism are fairly common human mindsets.  

Doubt, let us remember, is not the opposite of faith but it is how we respond to the questioning that is important.

Faith is not the opposite of knowledge. We should place our faith in what is found to be trustworthy. We do this on a regular basis: getting on airplanes, hiring a babysitter, investing our money.

A good beginning when evaluating the reasonableness of heaven would be with scrutinizing the words of someone who claims to have been there.

In Imagine Heaven author John Burke catalogs hundreds of people who were clinically dead, (we're talking no heartbeat or brain waves) whom report experiences that are consistent with the biblical teachings on heaven. While one may want to be careful when evaluating these claims, medical journals also include details that were physically tested or corroborated. Such as items seen on the roof or events occurring in different locations (The patients' bodies never leave the hospital beds).

These people come back to life and relay what they see. Details and events that they would not or could not logically develop. Some of those who endure NDE's(near-death-experiences)were previously atheists or skeptics. Not only do they go on to live, but they live changed lives. The stories are incredible. 

The historical Jesus of Nazareth also spoke of heaven. 

Can we trust what Jesus said? The minimal facts* surrounding the resurrection are open to interpretation. The data to me, suggests the most rational conclusion to the empty tomb is a result of a supernatural act of God.

Good news for us human beings, because that means there's truly hope. 

If there is a God who conquered death, the Christian worldview is plausible.

With the Christian worldview, you get heaven thrown in. If so, Jesus is indeed trustworthy.

Not only that, it means that Jesus also conquered nature, illness and sin. All what makes living on this earth hard. 

Sin is a term that means missing the mark. If God is the essence of goodness, sin keeps us from Him. I sure don't let my muddy kids roll around and lounge causally inside my recently cleaned home until they are clean. I just can't do it.

We can not get clean on our own. We need Jesus.

Jesus words on heaven weren't extensive. He describes it as paradise, a mansion with many rooms and that in order to understand heaven you need to become childlike.

Before writing this post, I daily mulled over this concept.

Childlike. 

 Children do seem to have a greater capacity to wonder, to trust and hope.

The adults in my life(myself included) may not conceive heaven as real or would prefer to skirt around such deep topics. We are all possibly too busy trying to feel valuable and successful and make people like us. I often imagine God may be like "hello I love you, you are already so valuable."

Another full disclosure: I personally am tempted to think that heaven might actually get boring. The kid from sand lot’s voice echoes through my mind: FOREVVVER.

Won’t it just be an ongoing church service? I mean I enjoy church but will just we sing to God on and on? Will there be alone time? I love a good party but yikes even I need some space.

And I always remember what my Grandpa used to sing: "In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here!"

But it really all boils down to our view of God and Jesus. If God is good and He created all that is good, then why wouldn't eternity with him be real and better?

For me, I don't want to leave this world simply because of one word: Family.

I have four babies and my best friend and husband who I know need me and I light up and feel alive when I'm with them. I couldn't have asked for better parents and siblings and I have a pretty darn amazing extended family too. 

But God is relational. He created family and calls us who place our hope in Jesus, His very own children. The Bible teaches he does not force us to love and worship him. Because love and true relationships necessitate a willing choice.

Don't hate me, but this may be an instance where we parents could actually maybe strive to think more like our kids. There may not really be a whole lot we need to teach them regarding heaven.

They may more naturally trust. Especially if they are shown unconditional love.

Thinking about the concept of forever reminded me of another vacation spot. Not Hawaii this time. A little place on the shores of Lake Erie. A connection to my childhood. Every year for thirty seven years (forever as I know it) my dad’s side of the family has visited and re-visited Mitiwanga, Ohio.

Yep, I would bet you never heard of it. The beach is pretty rocky, the lake often resembles dirty bath water and the home that we’ve rented yearly really is a far cry from idyllic.

But we keep going back. 

As a kid we counted down the days. It’s like home away from home. Big family dinners, bonfires on the beach, volleyball games, binge watching shark week. Playing cards and chanting as a generous uncle throws in $5 in the winner’s pot. Laughing hysterically until icy pops ooze out of our noses. Night swimming. Dairy Queen visits. Running through the house with squirt guns while Grandma would yell at us. Mid-night Walmart excursions. Cedar Point record-breaking roller coasters. Nachos. Memories. Togetherness. Fun. Childhood. Family.

It makes sense that in heaven we won't have to do the adulting. We are the kids. God has taken care of it all. Lake Erie as an adult is surely fun but going back with my own children is, dare I say it, a smidge burdensome. Because now, it's up to me to keep my kids from eating 16 Oreos in a day or floating off in the waves.

Family vacations as a child, truly help me grasp heaven as somewhere I want to be.

Maybe, possibly us grown-ups are skeptical of heaven’s realness and goodness because we do see so much horror here? We are in the midst of evil and it can be challenging to attempt to comprehend utter goodness. 

Maybe we toil too much here and we never know full love and acceptance? Maybe we’re tired and deep down realize we are not enough. Maybe we struggle with trust.

Could it be we are tired of adulting? And we want to rest in Jesus' arms? I sure do.

We are not yet home.

Skeptics and naysayers have at it. Tell me all day what you think. Yep, I can see you and hear you, and heaven is nothing I can reach out and touch but I’m going with the One who conquered death and who’s been to heaven.

I'm sticking with Jesus and the kids.

 I’m going with the one who created family and rest and all the beauty and goodness we do see on earth.

I'm sticking with a good God conquering evil.

When our black lab passed away my oldest daughter cried out:." I’m really happy I know I’ll see Zoey again, but seventy years seems so long."

Just like that, life was harder in her mere 8 years. She woke up and suddenly found herself separated from someone she loves.

We all know this life can be so difficult. Prior to the internet, the ride to vacation, seemed to to be never-ending and kind of hard. Sometimes to the point where you may even question your destination's existence.

Or even, consider a pregnant mother's laboring.

In the midst of it, you totally forget that a tiny, amazing miracle is on it's way. 

There is such struggle in the journey. But when you arrive where you are supposed to be or when you hold that baby for the first time, the rightness and bliss overshadows the pain and hardship.

Hang on people. Reach out to and praise God our Heavenly Father. Someday there will be no separation and there is good reason to believe, this life is not all there is.

Luke 18:16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

For Further Reading: 

 John Burke, Imagine Heaven

Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven

J.D. Carmolinga,, Pooch and the Pearly Gates

*Minimal Facts on the Historical Resurrection