I Can Only Imagine

I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe is one of those songs that is more than a song to me. It makes me think of the goal I'm working toward and the prize I'll have one day. I love songs like this. I love songs that make me think long into the next few songs on the radio or my iPod. Can you imagine what is going on in my head when a string of songs like this come on? In those moments I usually have to put everything down and just worship the one who has created me!

While watching the music video for I Can Only Imagine again this morning (there are corny shows on JCTV, but it is a channel I flip to on a regular basis). Anyhow, while watching the video again I'm reminded of the cemetery where my grandparents are buried. Every few years my family will go and clean up my grandparents headstones. Here's a video of the latest trip...

Next to my grandparents are the infant and children burial plots. My grandma wanted to be next to the babies. Every time we visit the gravesite we walk around and take note of the ages. We try to find the person who was born the earliest (if I remember correctly it's in the late 1800's). We look for the person who lived the longest (usually over 100). We look for the newest "neighbor in the neighborhood," which is usually an infant. We'll look for spouses who are super old and wonder if they are still alive or have remarried and are buried with their new spouse (there is this one man who died in the 80's and his wife's birthday is engraved with "19--" as the end date. The comment of how silly we were to think the world would end in the year 2000 always comes up). We also look at the various headstones and comment on the pictures and images the family has chosen to remember their loved one by (usually a rose if not their picture, but we have seen sewing items, engineer symbols and other hobbies represented). In the baby section some families will fence off the burial plot with small garden fences and leave children's toys. As long as the items are in the fenced areas the grounds crew won't touch it (wilted flowers will be thrown away if left outside of the fenced off area, we've asked). For some of the fenced off areas we find all sorts of toys: teddy bears, trucks, cars, small McDonald's toys, garden decorations, and sometimes even food!

I've never lost a child (and pray I never do!), but to leave so many toys is sad to me. I understand the loss, but I'm sad because I wonder if the families know Jesus and will ever see their babies again? By the offerings of toys and even food I'm guessing not. Now, I'm not fully positive small children under a few years old are in heaven, but I know I serve a merciful God and would like to believe he would accept these babies to heaven even though they have never had the opportunity to ask for forgiveness of their sins and accept Jesus. This is one of those things people can argue about until the end, but for now I'll just keep living my life for God and see for myself when I get to heaven.

We clean the headstones of my grandparents because we remember our grandparents and this gives us an opportunity to remember the life they have lived, but for so many the gravesite is so much more. I get the feeling this is all they have to look forward to - a piece of land that holds the remains of their loved one.

I've never been afraid of dying because I know where I'm going and if I get to rock it with Jesus earlier than being an old grandma then sweet monkey love I'm rockin' it with Jesus! I wish everyone understood this point of view... it's such a peaceful one (with praise music playing)!