August 24, 2008
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BEWARE the HYPOTHETICAL #10
Recently there was a featured question that went something like… If you could die NOW and go to Heaven would you do it?
I hadn’t ever thought about it and then, there it was staring me in the face. Something to obsess about in my spacier moments.
Would I? Don’t we all want to go to Heaven? Isn’t that the goal? To get to the good place?
I decided no… The idea of it panics me.
Then I spent time obsessing over why I wouldn’t…Was I scared of it? Was it the idea of dying that was holding me back? Fear of the unknown? Leaving my family maybe? I know I will see them there, I am sure of it. So why was I thinking NO?
As I was driving down the road I saw a tree full of black birds, hundreds of them, some of them took off into the air,dancing on the wind, their shadows mimicked their movements, dancing over the pavement of the street.
Amazing, the sight of it lifted my spirit. I thought of all of the other times I feel that way, and how often.
When I play a board game with my kids.
When I watch the wind make my Pop’s hair jump around, a smile his on face as he drives his boat, grand kids huddling in the back.
When he stops, the look on their faces as one thanks him for going fast and the other thanks him for slowing down.
When I feel the sand between my toes.
When I smell the honeysuckle on a warm summer night.
When I see someone stop and pick up a penny.
When I take towels warm from the dryer on a cold day and notice how good they feel on my hands.
When I get a call from a dear friend I have been wanting to talk to all day.
When I can reach over at night and touch my Honey’s shoulder.
When I see this look-
on my monsters face…
These are tiny moments of bliss to me and I am lucky enough to experience at least one a day, although I don’t always recognize it at the exact moment it’s happening.
So I’m not ready to let go of the Heaven I have here on Earth.
Now the question about Heaven is a great one as far as a hypothetical goes, but that isn’t what I’m going to ask you…
I bet you thought it was!
I want to know, What would you trade your moments of bliss for?
If you could choose one thing that made you happy and trade it for something else, never to see that one thing again, Would you do it? What one thing would you give up and what would you give it up for?
Comments (25)
I guess I’d give up almost anything anytime for a hot fudge sundae! (I never did do well on quizes)
Actually, by reading your question, I could trade in something that made me happy. Ok. I love motorcycle riding. I am happy (most of the time!) with the motorcycle we have. But I would trade our happy motorcycle for a great motorcycle. One that rides even better.
I guess you could take this and say, “Ok. I would trade this for a better this.”
Incidently, I think if I were called Home now, I could go.
That was lovely, hearing about what lifts your spirit.
I might trade one thing for 2. Is that fair?
I don’t think I would volunteer to go to heaven just yet. My granddaughters need me for a few more years. Then I’ll go.
Give up a visit to the dentist when he was not there made me very happy, could I give this up? At least I know how I could repeat this experience: By going every Sunday and knock at his door. To trade for a couple of giving birth to a couple of more children?
I don’t trade! I bottle up moments of bliss to enjoy the memories when times could be better.
Good to read that you are not ready to go. Nobody is ready to let you go neither. Don’t forget how many nice moments the Xanganites had thanks to your beautiful blog. This should push you a few steps further up, as goes the Christian believe with good and bad deeds…
Well, the other day my tea was cold because I wasted too much time on your site, so keep up with the good deeds! The big calculator is ALWAYS switched on! §§°> haha!
I don’t really get your question.
I don’t have an answer to your question, but I liked your post. We are far too intricate and complex to have it all just end with death.
A wise godly man once said, “It is only natural to want to live and to fight death. God created us that way. He made us to want to live.” He went on to say, “when it is time for you to die, you can pray and God will give you the grace to be prepared to die but don’t worry about your desire to live in the mean time.”
this is a beautiful post, Angi ,.,., and I really don’t have a reply. Good thoughts …,
Great post, great thoughts.
what a great post. I would have to say, I wouldn’t trade my bliss for anything.
Great post. I’m pretty fond of my joyful things on this earth too.
Oh Angi…….this is an amazing blog! WELL DONE!!!!!!!!
Given me plenty of food for thought, I can sure tell ya! ((((HUGS)))) Have a good day!
Enjoying this life as a gift of God honors him. But I’d like to encourage you to think of the next world in a different way. Instead of thinking about some misty otherworld of heaven, think of all the goodness of this life and magnify it a hundred-fold. Brighter, stronger beauty. Enjoyment untouched by sorrow. You’ll have the wind and the blue sky and… doors! All the things that captivate your imagination and the total freedom to explore them — and the amazing reality that in that pursuit you’ll be worshiping God by doing the very thing that he created you to do — your expression of his delight in creation.
After all, we’re going to a new Earth, not simply heaven. It’s a good thing to enjoy and be grateful for the present earth. But just imagine how much better the second earth will be, without all the warp of sin. How much fun it will be to explore it! As C. S. Lewis wrote in The Last Battle: further up and further in!
baldmike has some interesting thoughts about some of the things you
have mentioned that got me to thinking about that, but i really don’t
know exactly how i feel about all that myself. once, when i was 16 or
17 and found myself in a position where i was completely convinced i
was going to die (not sure if it was even an accurate assessment since
teenagers seem to be attracted to drama & the only other folks that
might have had a different perspective on the situation were God &
the guy in the big truck that didn’t bother to stop but did obviously
have to do some serious swerving to miss me after i slipped & fell
on the ice, but for that very brief time at least, i believed it to be
so) and my response was very much like the one i have when i read
a book or watch a movie that i am really enjoying and it ends
unexpectedly…
Angi; I’m not ready to die cause I haven’t even decided what hill I’m going to die on,yet.
I dont like giving up anything. Good post I can relate with you here. I also get those bad feeling like what if I was gone tommorow. I want to always be there for my family. I’m not going anywhere.
Isn’t this kinda like the question, What do you want to be when you grow up? I wanta be an be an astrofirepoliceball player. You know, that guy who uses globules of fire retardant liquid in zero gravity to prevent fire on board the ISS. Yup, that or an astrophysivideodemonstator… The guy who demonstratesthe laws of physics in zero gravity to school kids, using Hot Wheels track and race cars. I saw that guy once on the NASA channel.
Wow, very cool, interesting post and you know that question is dear to my heart. There are so many blissful things I would give up, just to have Steven back again, but I also know he is safe and out of pain now, and I should not, can not, be selfish.
Soooo….I woul give up coffee *gasp* and have some wicked sex in return, hehe.
Sorry you asked, huh?
Hope your day was a great one, luv’.
*hugs*
my answer’s cheesy, but i’d trade my happiness for world peace. i’m tired of people being crazy toward one another
@mercyless1 - I was wondering when someone would do that! lol
@mercyless1 - You don’t have to give up ALL of your happiness… just one little tiny bit of your bliss. Maybe your title? =D
I’d give up my fat jeans for skinny jeans. Now before you get all excited, that fat jeans aren’t blissful, I have to say they are comfy and comfy jeans are hard to come by. But I’d like to get skinny enough to have comfy jeans that are skinny and look good on me.
LOL
As fro giving up a moment of true bliss, I’d give up anything good in order to give it to my kids so they could have bliss and happiness.
I’m not sure I’d give up any of my bliss unless the thing I got in exchange was something I would then have 24/7. I would give up quite a few of my blissful moments if the reward was constant. I’m also completely in agreement with Craftea. I’d give up almost anything to make life better/easier/happier for my kids. As for the not question. I’m not anywhere near ready to die yet. I have too much more left to do.
@angi1972 - i’d have to get the title back first to give it up. i will work extra hard to be mysterious and…er…sexy. yah
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