Dearest Dad,
Another Birthday passes and I wish I could actually wish you a Happy Birthday in person.
Dad, I always wonder... Are you resting in a peaceful sleep? Or, are you actually in Heaven now? If you are in Heaven, can you see the big mess our world is currently in?
For me, it is extremely difficult to imagine being in Heaven, but still being able to see loved ones and children suffering so much down on Earth. Just seeing and knowing so much suffering is still continuing on Earth would totally ruin Heaven for me, if I was already there! I do not believe that God would want that sort of pain to be experienced in Heaven because in Revelation 21 it says:
"1. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
(I got that from this cool website:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+21&version=NKJV)
So anyway, I truly believe that you, and all the other passed-on people that will be going to Heaven, are all currently resting peacefully in sleep, while waiting for the craziness on Earth to finally be over and for Jesus to come get all of us who chose to be with HIM.
I remember you told me that you were visited by Jesus and that he stood by your bed a couple of times and gave you encouragement during your life here on Earth. I have never been visited by Jesus personally, but I believe you were, and I do believe in Jesus! So, I also believe in the Word of God as in the Bible.
A fond memory I have as a little kid is when you used to try to read the Bible to us. But, being little kids, it was hard for us to understand it. I do remember that you told me that if I didn't get anything else out of the Bible, I did need to remember that it was the greatest history Book of all time and that it was all about Jesus. Now I understand better as to what you meant.
I also remember how you studied the Bible, and you studied it in the older versions written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, comparing them to our current versions like the KJV and the NKJV. You were so wise to do that. I am not good at studying in foreign languages like you were, but I do study with different versions of the Bible in English.
On another note... Today is a day of celebration for me, about you. I enjoy the entire day with the happy memories of our many camping trips, times at the beach and the cove, and all intriguing discussions about the universe. So, since we are having a totally beautiful, sunny, crisp 36 degree day, with Bald Eagles soring and the Deer spying on me, I am off to go on a little adventure with my dog, my thermos of hot brewed coffee, my Bible, and my snowshoes!
Happy Birthday Dad!