“It’s been a common thought of my life: How excited I will be to see Jesus in heaven some day. An uncommon thought I’ve never considered before this morning: How excited Jesus will be to see me. . .” – Leonard Sweet

My sister-in-law once observed, “There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who enter a room as if they are saying ‘Here I am!’, and those who enter a room and, by their manner, say ‘there you are!'” She was always the second kind of person. She made everyone she talked to feel special and loved.

It’s impossible for us to comprehend how much God loves us, how much he wants us to engage with him. When we start to pray, I think he’s excited to hear from us in the same way we’re excited to hear from someone we love. It’s as if he hears our voice and says, “There you are!” with joy in his words. He’s willing to focus on each of us as if we were the only person in the world. Our prayers get his undivided attention.

The apostle John often referred to himself as the disciple Jesus loved. John knew Jesus loved the whole world (John 3:16), but when they were together, John felt that he and Jesus had a special bond. I’m sure they did. I have a special bond with Jesus, too. And so do you!

By the way, my sister-in-law has been with Jesus in heaven for a few years now. I like to think of the moment she walked into the throne room and made eye contact with him. I can almost hear their simultateous and excited cries: “There you are!”

‘. . . keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” – Jude 21