“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God…because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8, NIV).

My wife has a childhood friend who has lived a difficult life. Yesterday, the friend called and needed help. She had fallen twice and needed to be taken to her doctor’s office. My wife dropped all her plans for the day and spent it helping her friend. This morning, she told me about one disturbing conversation. They had been talking about preparing wills, and the friend said, “I’m looking forward to crossing over the rainbow. I will finally see all my puppies. That’s what I am looking forward to.” Knowing her friend well, my wife was concerned, “What about seeing God?” The friend answered, “Oh, He’ll be there.”

The problem is not the other side of the “rainbow.” We know heaven will be glorious no matter how we imagine it, because we know Who prepared it for us.

The problem is this: what we wish for in heaven reflects what we seek on this side of glory. We long for puppies and are okay that God is here too. Some people love their puppies that way. Some people love power, or riches, or respect that way. For me, it’s my family. If we need these persons and things to be happy in heaven, they will probably be there.

However, true happiness in heaven will come from the presence of God, with all additional sources of happiness radiating out from Him.

The same goes for our time on this side of the “rainbow.”

As human beings, we are restricted by time, place and energy, such that loving one thing a lot leaves less of us to love another. Not so when we first love the God who is love. If we love God first, our capacity for all other loves will be magnified. The more we love Him, the more our capacity grows to love all good things, including family and puppies.

Dear God,

Let me love you first and grow in my love for all things good.

Amen