Last week on vacation my parents took Lauri and I to Winter Park, Florida for a boat tour of Osceola Lake. It was a beautiful day and our boat captain gave us a grand tour. The entire lake was surrounded by impressive homes. In fact, the lowest valued home on the lake was appraised at 3.5 million dollars. It’s for sale if you are interested.
Some of the houses were over 100 years old. Mister Rogers actually owned a home there. Immaculate lawns, 20,000 square feet of living space, infinity pools and boat houses that were impressive in their own right. It was a tour of the rich and famous for sure — and for most of the folks who lived there – it was their winter home.
Most of us can’t relate to folks who live like that, can we? Homes worth millions because they have more money than they could ever spend. The NBA basketball player, Horace Grant, had a 32,000 square foot home there for crying out loud! What do you do with all of that space in a house?
I will never have that kind of wealth – and I am just fine with that, because God has blessed me beyond reason. At one point on the tour my father leaned over to me and with a chuckle said… “You bought a house on the wrong lake.” “That’s ok,” I replied, “My home in Heaven will blow these away.”
As Christians we recognize that wealth in this world is temporary, but the promises of Heaven are eternal. Heaven won’t really be about streets of gold and mansions – even though those things will be there. Heaven will be about living in the presence of the King of Kings. It will be about enjoying the completed sovereign plan of The Alpha and Omega. And every day will be better than the one before it.
So, those folks on Osceola Lake can keep their big houses and fancy boats, because I am looking forward to retiring in Heaven some day. Don’t forget the promise… “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” – Jesus
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