Dwight L. Moody, the greatest evangelist of the nineteenth century, became fatally ill in December of 1899. In the midst of a preaching tour, he canceled his itinerary and returned to his home, where his loved ones were called to his side. It was evident he was close to the end. On the evening of December 22, he was suddenly awake and alert. “Earth recedes!” he exclaimed. “Heaven opens before me.”

William, his oldest son, smiled and said, “Father, you’ve been having a dream.”

“This is no dream, Will,” Moody replied. “It is beautiful! It is like a trance! If this is death, it is sweet! God is calling me, and I must go!”

Soon the rest of the family surrounded the bed. The great man was still speaking. “This is my triumph!” he said. “This is my coronation day! I have been looking forward to it for years.” And then, a new light came into his eyes. “Dwight! Irene!” he said. “I see the children’s faces!” These were the names of grandchildren who had died.

The family kept its vigil as Moody drifted in and out of consciousness. Sometime later, he raised up on one elbow, noted the people in the room, and seemed puzzled. He asked, “What does all this mean? What are you all doing here?”

“You haven’t been well, dear,” said his wife. “We wanted to be with you and pray for you.”

Moody said, “This is very strange. I’ve been beyond the gates of death to the very portals of Heaven.” He soon surprised everyone by rising and walking across the room to a chair. He spoke of recovery. But soon, he was back in bed, and he breathed his last.31

Why do so few believers long for heaven? We might as well be children unmoved by the anticipation of Christmas morning; young couples apathetic about their wedding day; the sick indifferent to the morning they will wake up whole and restored. On the day we finally see Him face-to-face, we will know beyond all doubt just how much God loves us—how much He always has, and how much He always will.

As we kneel in His presence, tears of joy staining our faces, we’ll finally understand how much He has longed to be with us. We’ll then hear those two words that every soul longs to hear above any words imaginable:

Welcome home.

TEN

God’s Love Changes Everything

Rick Garmon opened his gun cabinet and took a long look at the weapons within it. He lifted his best rifle and began polishing it. He had been doing all he could to hide the rage inside him, but people knew.