I shouted for Jim as I ran to the back of the house.
I’ve done a LOT of laundry in my life, and I know when something doesn’t sound right. The washing machine was pumping out the water, but the drain hose had popped out of place.
When Jim reached the utility room, I was lying on top of the washing machine, unsuccessfully poking the drain back down the little hole in the wall, attempting to stop the washing machine and turn off the water all at the same time. Jim and I spent the next hour cleaning up the mess. My kitchen sink faucet needs to be replaced, so I will just add the utility room mess to that list. Life is full of these Lucy and Ricky moments.
That leads me to the first of the seven things you won’t find in heaven:
- There are no repairmen in heaven.
Nothing will ever break in our heavenly mansions—nothing will ever stop working. We spend a lot of time and effort on earth fixing things that will always break down again someday. What is broken in your life today? It won’t be broken in heaven. - There will be no health care workers in heaven.
I stayed home this weekend because I was worried I might be coming down with the flu. I had already received my flu shot. After a good day of rest, I woke up feeling much better. We will never see a hospital, a doctor’s office, or a CVS in heaven. Our heads won’t ache, our bones won’t age, and we will never worry about lumps, bumps, or fevers. How much time and effort do you spend trying to stay healthy? That will be free time in heaven. - There will be no banks, bills, or taxes in heaven.
Everything will be free and free to give. There will never be people who think they don’t have enough—or who think they have too much. What would you do today if you knew you would always have enough to keep and enough to give away? - You will never find a jail, a prison, or a police officer in heaven.
Safety and justice will be our constant reality. Where would you go or what would you do if you weren’t worried about what might happen? How would you sleep if there weren’t any noises or thoughts that kept you awake? - You will not find a museum in heaven.
It won’t matter how things used to be. It won’t be important to put valuable antiquities behind glass or art on guarded walls. Everything will be available for everyone to enjoy. The past, the present, and the future will exist at the same time in heaven. How would your life be different if the present moment was the only moment that mattered? - You will never find a celebrity in heaven.
Everyone will be just as happy to sit with you as they are to sit with Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, or the apostle Paul. Think of a Christian you have admired for years. That is how everyone will think about you in heaven. - Finally, because seven is a perfect number, the final thing you won’t see in heaven—Kleenex.
Yes, you heard it right. Kleenex will not be necessary in heaven because there is no more grief, no more illness, and no more sad stories on the news. How many tissues have you used in your lifetime? How many more are in your future? None will be needed in heaven.
Why should a Christian stop and think about heaven?
Because the apostle Paul wrote, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1–4).
If we take a few minutes to contemplate eternity, how will that change our thoughts and actions today?
Maybe we won’t notice what is broken and focus instead on what will last forever. Maybe we won’t be overly concerned with our physical health and will make our spiritual health a higher priority. Maybe we won’t think about our bank statement as much as our treasure in heaven. Maybe we won’t fret over temporal fears on earth and choose instead to find peace in our eternal promises.
Museums on earth could remind us that nothing stays the same until we reach eternity, where nothing changes. If we think about heaven, we will be less impressed with celebrities and more impressed with the average people around us, including our own reputation.
And now you’re wondering what I could possibly say about Kleenex to conclude this blog post. Here is my thought: What if every time we reach for a Kleenex, we try to set our minds on things that are above?
If you are like me, you would think of eternity a LOT more often. Christ will come and take every Christian home to heaven. After Christ who is our life appears, we will never need to reach for a Kleenex again. Until then, why don’t we use that earthly necessity to remind us of the many things we won’t need in heaven? Maybe all of us will choose heavenly priorities for our earthly lives a little more often.
Life is a road trip to heaven best lived with your destination in mind. Travel lightly—God wants to provide everything you need for your journey, and Jesus will have everything ready when you arrive.