E-mail From Heaven

E-Mail from Heaven

The day you die is better than the day you are born. . . .After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-2

It seems there was a couple from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who decided to go to Florida for a few days to thaw out during one particularly cold winter. Because both of them worked, they had some difficulty coordinating travel schedules. They finally decided that the husband would leave for Florida on a certain day, and the wife would follow him the day after. The man made it to Florida as planned and went directly to his hotel.

Once in his room, he decided to open his laptop and send his wife, who was still in Minnesota, an e-mail. However, he accidentally left off one letter in typing his wife’s e-mail address and sent the e-mail without realizing his error.

Meanwhile, in another part of the country, a widow had just returned from the funeral of her husband, a Lutheran pastor of many years, who had been “called home to glory” a few days earlier. Although distraught over the loss of her beloved husband, she decided to check her e-mail because she was expecting to hear from some of his many relatives and friends around the world. But upon reading the first e-mail message, she let out a loud scream, fainted, and fell to the floor.

The woman’s son rushed into the room and found his mother lying on the floor. While trying to revive her, he glanced up at the computer screen and saw the following e-mail:

To: My loving wife

Subject: I’ve arrived!

I’ve just checked in. Everything has been prepared for your arrival here tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!

Your devoted husband

Father, I pray that I will be ready to go when you come to take me home to glory. I rest in your saving grace and your wonderful promises, and I look forward with joy and anticipation to being in your presence. Amen.