Last night I caught a glimpse of heaven. This happened while I prayed with my son Luke. Up until that evening with Luke the day had been really sad for me. That morning a special friend died. She’d battled cancer for a number of years and a handful of times I prayed with her, asking Jesus to conquer the cancer. A year ago I stood with this friend at the altar of our church as the pastor anointed her with oil. I profoundly felt the presence of God then as we pleaded with the Lord for her healing. Few times in my life have I seen the hand of God so plainly upon someone, yet my friend’s cancer progressed and this week she died in the middle of her life.

My friend did not have it easy here on earth. She endured a failed marriage and the loss of her only child, a sweet little boy born the same year as my Luke. When our sons were both two-years-old, my friend’s little guy drowned in his baby-sitter’s backyard. That day shattered everyone. Due to her cancer, then in the early stages, my friend was unable to have more children. She also suffered the loss of a precious one-year-old niece on Christmas day not long after losing her boy.

The grief allotted to this friend and her family seem unbearable to me. Yet my friend never lost her sweet smile or the golden glow of the Holy Spirit on her face. She was always telling me how good God was. When I spoke at a women’s retreat at our church about the faithfulness of Jesus, I asked this friend to stand up because I wanted all the ladies to see someone profoundly touched by God: not because of her suffering, but because of her sweetness, which was unexplainable in the midst of such a tragic life.

So this glimpse of heaven came last night after my son Luke had spent the day hiking in the hills with friends from church. I could tell by Luke’s eyes that he’d done some serious crying as he walked in the door. This surprised me since Luke is at an age where he rarely cries and when he does, he tries his best to hide his tears. I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn’t say. He said the hike went fine and then hurried upstairs to his room.

Lately Luke has been asking a lot of hard spiritual questions. We’ve raised him at a Christian school and in church and he can quote the Bible better than some preachers I’ve heard, and as a young boy Luke accepted Jesus as his Savior, but only recently has he shown a genuine interest in God. After giving Luke a bit of time alone upon realizing he was upset, I went to his room to see if I could comfort him. It was then that he shared with me his fear that he might not truly be saved.

“Will you pray for me, Mom?” he asked with tears in his redden eyes.

“You bet,” I said. “Do you know that the Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom? Being afraid of God is a good thing. True salvation begins with true fear of the Lord.”

While praying with Luke for his salvation, a vision of my friend now united with her son suddenly appeared to me. They were standing with Jesus watching over Luke and me. Rooting for us. Interceding for us. The image was so powerful that even though they were far above in heaven, golden warmth and light enveloped me all the way down in Luke’s room. It came from above in a slow, gentle rush and the peace was amazing.

“Thanks, Mom,” said Luke upon opening his eyes. There was such shining softness in my son’s 13 year old gaze that I caught my breath.

“Thank Jesus,” I whispered not wanting the warmth, peace, and light to go away. “The Lord has good plans for you, Luke. Plans to prosper and not harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.”

Luke smiled. And I smiled. This promise from Jeremiah 29:11 was one of the first verses I memorized from the Bible. It reminded me of the day of my own salvation ten years ago.

I don’t understand why my friend and her son died so soon. And so sadly on this earth. But in that glimpse of heaven, time meant nothing and there was no grief up there. My friend and her son had finished the race before Luke and me and now they stood joyfully with Jesus. This glimpse of heaven encouraged me so much this week. I hope it encourages you too today.