Heaven and Growth

 I grew up being told that heaven is some otherworldly place that I might achieve after I died.

I have come to realize that "The kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It is right here, right now!

Once I realized that it becomes easier to to recognize it. With practice entering heaven becomes easier.

No tickets or invites required. Entrance is always open to all. Simply enter in your mind and heart.

We are in and of the world, which is in and of the universe, which is in and of God. Heaven is in and around us, always! We don't have to tear a veil to enter. Just accept its presence.

There is peace in heaven along with challenges. Here the lion may lie down with the lamb, and the next day sustain itself with the flesh of the lamb.

Long ago I rejected the concept of heaven as Nirvana/Utopia. That is stagnation unto death!

There are challenges, disappointments, failures, etc. in heaven. They are required for us to grow.

We strengthen our muscles through resistance training.

We advance our minds by taking on more complex learning. What once was hard is now easier.

We advance our emotional capacity by casting ourselves in other's roles. Being pricked, hurt, and loved.

Neil Degrasse Tyson and others have talked about how his and my generation grew up learning resilience, compromise, empathy (growing) via unsupervised play, working through challenges/problems our selves or through cooperation. It is our journey toward completeness. A journey that never ends.