The year I turned fifteen, my dad took my older brother and me on a fishing trip to Mexico. But first we had to get to my uncle Bill’s house in Alamogordo, New Mexico. From there we would fly south of the border in his Cessna.
I was reared on the Great Plains of the Southern Midwest (USA), and had never been too far from home. Here, stunted trees follow the mostly dry creek beds. And when you do find water it’s the color of chocolate milk. I was eager for a change of scenery.
Yet the farther west we went the more dry and desolate it became. Driving through the bottom end of the Texas panhandle, the topography resembled the surface of the moon! That’s when I fell asleep in the back seat of our ‘79 Buick.
Shortly before dawn that morning, we stopped at a convenience store in Southeast New Mexico. When the car doors opened the air felt much cooler than the last time we fueled up in the desert. Crawling out of the back seat, squinty eyed, I stumbled toward a giant conifer, the ground underneath it dappled with snow. Half awake I blurted out, “Is this heaven?”
I later learned the tree was a blue spruce and we were at the top of a pass in a scenic little village called Cloudcroft. The crisp mountain air, snow in Spring and the tall trees were things I’d only heard about. Now I was experiencing them in person!
There’s an old southern gospel song called, How Beautiful Heaven Must Be. The tune describes reading about the City of God, but concludes that the actual place must be more than we can imagine.
Kind reader, picture waking up in heaven after leaving this “desert” world.
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)
Or as Paul puts it later in this same letter, “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as He knows us!” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG)
There’s a REAL place called heaven. And this isn’t it. But receiving Christ as savior means a one-way ticket!
How beautiful heaven must be!
Note: the video below is me singing the song I mentioned.
🙏❤️prayers and love.
Davids Daily Dose 
Comments
40 responses to “Heaven. This Isn’t It!”
I would love that. Thanks
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Yes indeed! And In heaven medical care won’t be needed. You can go for hikes every day!
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A happy scene. A happy moment. These are glimpses of what awaits in Heaven, and there happiness is eternal.
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yes, when I marvel at the wonder of His creation, I am excited about heaven.
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Many of your pictures from the beaches you visit give us a glimpse of heaven. Thank you for your input!
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Beautiful inspiration my friend. Heaven is all the happiness, peace and love combined all the time. Some days we’re lucky to see and experience it. Kind of what of what awaits when we follow God. Thanks you.
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God bless!
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Thank you for your encouragement, Petrina! God Bless.
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You’re welcome Manette Kay! Thank you for reading and listening. Blessings!
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David, thank you for sharing this reminder of the HOPE that lies before those who have chosen to surrender to Christ. It’s easy to feel the heaviness and hopelessness of the world when viewing the current events taking place on this globe. Whether that be natural disasters, tragedies of war, persecution, famines or political unrest all can easily overwhelm and discourage a person. Your singing and the wonderful lyrics to the hymn are a sweet reminder of the glorious future that lies ahead. It was refreshing to my soul today–thanks!
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Amen! Thank you for the beautiful and uplifting song.😍 Great post.
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Thanks, brother! I thought you might know this song. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope to meet you one day in Scotland, but if not, I will see you in heaven!
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Me too!
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I have seen some beautiful scenery in my life, but I believe that the glorious scenes of Heaven will surpass them all. I am in no hurry but I am looking forward to it someday – Hallelujah! Thank you for this meditation on this subject, and your lovely rendition of one of my favourite gospel songs.
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I’m glad we get to participate in God’s work!
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Earth is indeed a beautiful place, but it will not last forever. As you said, it cannot compare to what God has waiting for us. Thank you for reading and commenting. Blessings!
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What a welcomed sight that will be after living here. Our earth is a beautiful place but it cannot compare to what God has waiting for us. It helps to know that and trust Him to take me there as we journey through this beautiful wilderness.
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Thank you, Matt. God Bless!
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For those who have Jesus this life is the worst it will ever be. The glories of heaven await us.
Nice song.
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Me too, Barb! I’ve seen lots of spruce trees and snow since then, but I’ll always remember my first time up in the mountains
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Fun post. I love it when adventures from our childhood can still teach us lessons today.
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I am willing to wait too. There still seems to be a lot of God’s work to be done! Thank you for sharing. God Bless.
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Living in the Colorado Rockies I get to witness amazing views on a daily basis, so I cannot wait to see what heaven looks like! Well, I mean I can wait, until God calls me home, that is.
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Thank you, Betty! I love to sing—especially the Southern Gospel songs from my youth. I am happy you stopped in today!
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David, you look so very happy singing this song. The joy inside you shines through. The thought of how beautiful heaven must be is a comfort when we lose (or are losing) those we love. Thanks for an uplifting post!
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Thanks, David, I’ve been humming the tune to the beautiful song you shared…🌷
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Thank you, brother Gary! For a bit I was a semi-pro level singer/songwriter. But those days are mostly behind me now. Blessings!
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Nice singing and playing by the way. In our area you would be in demand
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Amen! 🎶The best is yet to come.🎶 Thank you, Gary!
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That verse has always been a good perspective verse David, a reminder that the best (beyond what can be imagined) is yet to come.
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Thank you, Bridget. I’ve been singing since I was a toddler. The guitar playing began as a teenager. The glories of heaven must be heard to describe. We see glimpses in the Bible, but the real thing must be even greater! Thank you for your comment! Blessings.
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You’re right, Chris. Funerals remind us of the finality of death. But for those who trust in Christ, physical death is the door to forever with God.
Coming down out of the mountains from Cloudcroft is the second part of my story. The White Sands looked like a giant pale ocean!
Thanks for stopping by today, Chris!
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I join you in prayer for your father’s transition to heaven. Thank you for sharing. 🙏May God continue to comfort you and your family at this time.
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You’re welcome! Thank you for reading, watching and commenting.
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Thank you, Sally! From one singer to another, God Bless. 🙏❤️
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You are so talented! You can sing and play. I can’t do either. Lol! It’s hard to imagine how glorious heaven and seeing the Lord will be. But what a wonderful eternity we have to look forward to! ✝️🙌
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I attended two funerals this week. The reality of this isn’t Heaven sunk in heavily. We look around thinking this is abundance, but as you pointed out, we’re really in a desert compared to Heaven. I’m looking forward to the day when we walk the streets of gold and tears are a thing of the past.
On a separate note, Alamogordo, NM ended up on our vacation itinerary this summer. We were driving through but stopped to enjoy White Sands National Park. It was incredible and one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.
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My father is actually dying right now. Your post is an encouragement as we pray for his transition from this life to the next.
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Thank you so much for these words and your song of hope today! Have a blessed Sunday.
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Beautiful song and message. Thanks, David. 🤗🌷
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