Our sufferings cannot be compared to the glory.

Our daughter Esther went to Adventure Girls this last year. Every week there was opportunity to earn points toward a prize to be given out at the last meeting. One could bring a decorated hat on hat day, or wear lots of jewelry on jewelry day or write a book review and various other projects. Though the projects were not difficult, Esther put little effort into them, believing "Free things are sometimes a little cheap." The morning after prize night, she looked at me sheepishly. "Mom, guess what one of the prizes was?" She then told me that oil paints was a prize --something she has wanted for some time. But because she didn't have as many points as some other girls, this prize got picked before she had her turn to pick.

This got me thinking about heaven. I believe that heaven will be very, very sweet and good and lovely and will more than compensate for any suffering, loss, deprivation or pain we have had to bear for Jesus on this earth. But I do not always live as if that were true. If I believed that every whispered prayer, every glance upward, every tear for the unborn, every turning to God would be richly rewarded, I would turn to him more often. I would live more in his presence. But then, like Andre Seu, I am a recovering materialist. Lord, open my eyes.