Getting a glimpse

"Had a vision of heaven, what these eyes they did see..."

What is Heaven really like? Don't know for sure, other than what was revealed to John on the isle of Patmos. And from Jesus' words.

Got a little glimpse of it today, though. For a few minutes at Big Ridge State Park, it seemed so close you could reach out and touch it.

The Northern and Midland Baptist associations held Impact in the Park today -- dinner on the ground, a little singin', a little preachin' -- and an old-fashioned baptizing, right there in Norris Lake.

They had fried chicken for lunch, of course. It's a Baptist thing. After dinner, I sat at the edge of a horseshoe pit, shut my eyes and listened to The Foster Family sing Speer Family and Squire Parsons songs.

I shut my eyes a few minutes, lost in the simple happiness of it all. After awhile, I looked around and saw folks laughing, hugging necks, singing and shaking hands. Everybody wore a smile. A ray of sunshine blanketed the whole area in bright yellow.

"You know," I thought to myself, "surely heaven will be something like this."

Oh, it will be better, I know. No sickness. No heartache. Hopefully no humidity.

Hines Creek Baptist Church pastor Mark Large got up to preach a few minutes. He's an animated, old-school type Baptist preacher. I want to go hear him preach at his church sometime.

"I'm not a great preacher," Mark says. "But I preach a great gospel."

Folks were getting happy. Just before the baptizing, everybody sang four stanzas of "Amazing Grace." The best part faded off at the end of the third verse.

"T'was grace that brought me safe thus far. And grace will lead me home..."

Just a little glimpse, folks. Just a little glimpse of what awaits.