I’ll Meet You at the Ice Cream Bar!

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My hubby and I recently went on a trip to Alaska. If I had a Bucket List, experiencing Alaska would have been at the very top! It was GLORIOUS to see what God’s creative hand produced. And boy, does God have a creative hand! Just seeing and hearing about the untamed nature in full display and fury can open the mind to what God is capable of. If you’re going through a crisis of faith, Alaska and its God imprinted majestic beauty might be just what you need. We were blessed to travel with friends this time. They were such good friends before, and now, after this trip, they are friends for life. Isn’t that how friendships work? A little history together is just the glue needed to seal the deal as “forever.” What the Lord put on my mind this morning to write about isn’t about the trip. But the encouragement to write this blog most definitely came from the trip. Hang with me!

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On the trip, while everyone was enjoying some soft serve ice cream, I was telling my friends about a conversation I had with my two sets of grandkids. After telling the story, one friend said, “Maybe that story should be your next blog.”

Every summer, we host “Oma and Papa Camp” at our house. This year, we held Oma and Papa Camp for two separate weeks—one with the family of four boys and another with the family of two girls and a boy. It has been the highlight of our summer, and yes, we are happily exhausted when the parents arrive to pick up their kids. But this summer, for some reason, we ended up having the same conversation at both camps. It was about heaven! It hasn’t been a year since their great-grandma went to heaven—that may have been the catalyst. Coincidentally, we reached the same topic in our conversations: What is heaven like? The kids wanted to know, “Will we know each other in heaven, and how will we find each other?” Oh, such great questions!  

Having recently seen their great-grandma pass away must have made them realize that Papa and I were likely “up” next. I can imagine their young minds were a bit confused about how and when heaven works. One night, as we sat around the dinner table, I was asked, “How will we find you and Papa in heaven?” I love seeing kids’ minds at work. One of our favorite treats when the kids visit is ice cream—we all love it. Whether we go out for it or have a bowl at home, or both, it’s a must-have for camp. As soon as the question was asked, I exclaimed, “We’ll meet you at the ice cream bar.” Their eyes lit up! Can I defend this doctrinally or theologically? Maybe…I think so…

I can’t imagine a feast without ice cream, can you?  Not just any old party, but a FEAST hosted by God Almighty.  Randy Alcorn, in his book on HEAVEN, explains what heaven will be like.  Randy believes the Bible shows us there will be food in heaven, and eating will be a real, joyful experience that reflects the goodness and abundance of God.   But here is the nugget of truth I think we can benefit from: heaven is real, and heaven is glorious. If God can create awe-inspiring glaciers, and he does, I’ve seen them, I’m confident He’ll make heaven even better than anything we can find here on earth.  So, I think, heaven will have ice cream.  

In the book, Promise of Heaven, Douglas Connelly writes, When Jesus talked about the future, he pictured it most often as a party! Jesus was criticized regularly during his earthly ministry for having too much fun. The uptight religious people called Jesus a drunkard and a friend of low-class sinners. Even the followers of John the Baptizer were scandalized that Jesus didn’t require his disciples to put on sad faces and skip meals. Jesus enjoyed banquets and parties on earth because they reminded him so much of heaven—and because they provided wonderful opportunities to teach people how the social rules will change when Jesus is in charge.

And what a great way for kids to understand that knowing Jesus as their Savior puts them in eternity forever with Jesus (that is the real treasure of heaven) and with those of us who know Jesus.  And it won’t be dull; it will be a party!  

When my youngest granddaughter walked out the door from Oma and Papa camp, she said to me with a twinkle in her eye, “Don’t forget, Oma, I’ll meet you at the ice cream bar.”  

Oh, what a glorious day that will be!!!

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