So this is heaven?

Like anyone else in the world, I've wondered what heaven is like. I've heard all of the theories and I think I believed that heaven isn't this all-white (wonder what subtle messages are there) golden whatever. I realized when I was driving back from being at camp for our staff reunion what heaven is probably like.

My friend Rhydian and I were driving back to camp and talking about some previous memories from the summer, as we do. We arrived when it had already become dark and we grabbed all of our things and walked down the path to Barred Owl, the lodge we were staying in. When we opened the door, there were about 25 of our friends from the summer, many whom we hadn't seen since summer, there smiling at us and celebrating that we had arrived. They all came up and hugged us and were so truly happy that we were there. The room was cozy and there was a fire going. When we were talking with them and reminiscing it was like no time had passed at all. It was like we hadn't gone anywhere and they hadn't either.

I think this is exactly what heaven will be like. It'll be dark right away but then it won't be a crazy bright light like is often thought of. It'll be a softer light, like that of a fire gently crackling the logs beneath. We will arrive at heaven's cabin door and upon opening it we will be greeted with the warmth of the fire and all of our friend's smiling faces and their exclamations that we had finally arrived. When we arrive at heaven it will feel like there had been no time between our friends and family leaving us and our being reunited with them. We can spend time catching up and then continue to have new experiences with one another. It will be like they had never left and neither had we. Even if they arrive at the cabin earlier than us, we cannot mourn for this. We must celebrate that they are in the company of others whom we love and that we will shortly be able to walk through that door and embrace them in the warmth of the firelight.