Family Reunion

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

“Ohhh,” Akari groaned. She sank back in the seat as they drove home from a family reunion. “I think I ate too much of Aunt Mari’s apple pie. It was so good!”

“And I think I played too much baseball. I’m getting too old to be running around the bases,” said Dad, laughing.

“I didn’t really feel like going today,” Sora said, “but it was a lot of fun. It was cool to see all those great aunts and uncles too. I didn’t know we had so many relatives! I hope we have a family reunion again next year. ”

“You know what I liked? I liked hearing the stories some of the older people told us. They were really interesting,” said Akari.

“I’ve heard Mom tell some of the same stories,” said Sora. “But it’s even more fun to hear them from the people they actually happened to.”

“It reminds me of another family reunion we’ll be attending someday,” said Dad.

“With people from your side of the family instead of Mom’s?” Sora asked.

“I’m thinking of the reunion that will take place when Jesus comes back to resurrect Christians who have died,” Dad replied. “We’ll be reunited with friends and relatives from both sides of our family. And we’ll meet people we know only from reading about them—some who are living now and others from long ago.”

“How about people from the Bible—like Noah?” asked Sora. “Maybe we can ask him what it was like living on an ark with all those animals.”

“Yeah!” said Akari. “And I’d like to ask Jonah how it felt to be inside a fish!”

Mom grinned at the two girls. “It will be fun to meet people like Noah and Jonah, but the best part of heaven is that we’ll all finally get to see Jesus.”

Dad nodded. “We get so busy with things here on earth sometimes that heaven hardly seems real,” he observed. “You both had fun at the family reunion today, and you can be sure the reunion of God’s family when Jesus returns will be far, far better! We’ll be with friends and relatives, but best of all, we’ll spend eternity with Jesus.”

-Lenora McWhorten

How About You?

Does heaven sometimes seem far off and hard to imagine? It’s natural to feel that way, but Jesus has promised to return one day, and when He does, it will be a wonderful time! Christians who have died will be resurrected, and we’ll all be together with Jesus. It will be the best family reunion of all, and it will last forever!

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV) We…will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Today’s Key Thought:

Heaven will be a great reunion