I want to talk about HEAVEN. I always used to prefer the term “the Other Side”, because “Heaven” seemed like such a “churchy” word, and one that evoked equivalent possibilities of hell, purgatory, failure, and other unpleasant ideas.

I also thought that streets paved with gold, as described in the Bible, seemed a bit silly, just because I don’t care about golden streets in this life and presumably won’t in the next. I mean, unless you can pull up the golden cobbles and trade them for food and lodging, what good are they? Also, when the sun is shining, which is presumably at all times in this church Heaven, aren’t gold streets blinding?

(But I digress.)

Now. I have talked to a LOT of people who are on “the Other Side”. I mean, hundreds–nay, thousands of people who have passed from this life. And many of them have given me the thought, “Heaven is exactly what I hoped it would be.” And they’ve shown me what they hoped for and what their “Heaven” is like.

(One gentleman told me he was surprised by Heaven, because it wasn’t churchy, as he expected. He took the “house of many mansions” and “streets paved with gold” stuff literally, and half-expected to be praying and singing hymns for all eternity–imagine his pleasant surprise when it turned out to be more like what he would have enjoyed in life, but better! No feelings of regret, sorrow, anger, or other negatives. And with the opportunity to help his loved ones! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Read on.)

They’ve also shown and told and described for me what they do for their living loved ones from their Heaven. While I have eschewed the concept of a late loved one becoming your guardian angel, those on the Other Side do actually seem to be helping the rest of us here in life. Maybe “guardian angel” isn’t the exact thing they are, but they are helping you. Yes, your late mother or grandmother or uncle really is joining your angels and guides to help you and yes, you really can call on them and/or “pray” to them. And isn’t that the idea of Heaven, even in the church’s sense?

Please comment below with your ideas about Heaven.