A Taste of Heaven

Friday night I experienced a taste of heaven.

You might think that it happened in a very reverent place, like a church building. No, it happened in Safeco Field in Seattle as we went to watch the Mariners play baseball.

Yes, it's true. Baseball must be God's favorite sport; especially when the game looks the way it did that night.

First off; it was a beautiful Seattle evening.

The sky was clear, it was 75 degrees and the lights sparkled like diamonds over the city. We went to celebrate my daughter's birthday, and we were there together as a family, a very precious rarity as we gather from our different places, literally around the world. Heather just returned from a trip around the world for 8 months; so it is good to have her home, and even better that she wanted to go to the Mariners game for her family birthday party.

It didn't look like baseball heaven from the start. 3 innings in and Oakland A's had scored 6 runs and were leading 6-1. The Mariners often loose the game at that point, but not in baseball heaven. They scored 2 runs in the next inning and four in the 6th, which included two amazing home runs.

It ended up that the Mariners went ahead 7-6. Oakland scored a home run which tied the game. It stayed tied until the bottom of the 9th when Seattle was up to bat. Oakland walked the batter that had the biggest potential, so the bases became loaded. Lopez came up to bat and quickly the count was 2 balls, 2 strikes and 2 outs. His next bat was a foul So, were the next 8 bats after it. Finally, on the 10th swing, he hit the ball nice and clear and Mariners scored!

They were overjoyed! I was estatic because a game like that doesn't happen nearly enough. It was a glimpse for me of what heaven will be. Everything lining up--the people I love, the peace and beauty astounding, and the game such a nail biter that I think that it really couldn't get any better than this.

If a baseball game can touch me in such a deep way, it's hard to imagine what heaven will be. But, I know this; God gives us pleasures on earth to help us to long for our ultimate destination: life with him that will never be interrupted and will heal every hurt, brokenness, sickness suffering we have ever experienced.

Heaven, I can't wait!