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~Paradise Gained |
From the window of the plane I watched the blue 
of the ocean become turquoise as we descended. When we landed at the airport
on Grand Cayman Island and exited the plane,
the weather was hot and the customs lines were long and out of doors. It
was a long and uncomfortable wait while our bags and
passports were examined to see if we were approved for admittance to the
tiny island paradise.When we were finally through the lines, my husband
and I were escorted to the home of a relative who lived on the other side
of the island. Gorgeous flowering bushes, palm trees, and
buildings of Mediterranean architectural influence dotted the long white
sandy beaches. And I will never forget the view
as we walked toward the water from the relative's house. Before us were
miles of the beautiful turquoise Caribbean Sea extending
as far as I could see. Occasionally some exotic fish would break the
surface of the sea and then dive back again into his watery home.
 Ceiling fans and open windows was the usual Caymanian
form of air conditioning. And I loved to wake up to the hypnotic and restful
sound of the sea with its white-capped waves
lapping lazily onto the shore. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
Though I don't believe that is what heaven will really be
like, this vacation spot seemed to be a true paradise. Then what will heaven
be like? We can't know completely, but we know its
gates are made of pearl and its streets are made of pure gold (Revelation
21:21). There is a beautiful sea in heaven too, and
it is "A sea of glass like crystal" (Revelation
4:6). There will be no night there, no tears and no dying, no pain and
no sorrow (Revelation
21:4). Precious stones, like sapphires and emeralds adorn the city walls
and there is no need of light, because the
glory of God and of Jesus Christ illumine it (Revelation
21:19-20). His blessed presence is by far the most outstanding
thing about heaven and
the reason it is an unspeakably wonderful place to be.
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