Will I go to heaven?

Linda Hitt Shaver

Students in the high-school comparative religions class I was visiting had asked many thoughtful questions about God: How can I know there is a God? Why doesn't He stop evil things from happening? Is it possible to feel His presence with us? And I had shared with the students some opportunities I'd had to experience beyond any doubt God's loving, caring presence, His protecting and healing power. I told them about a few of the times when members of my family had been healed through prayer alone of such things as malaria, heart trouble, skin cancer, migraine headaches, sports injuries, and childhood diseases, to name just a few.

Then as the bell rang and the students departed, a young man approached with one last question. He hadn't spoken during the class, but now he asked earnestly, "Will everyone go to heaven?" "Oh, yes!" I replied. "Heaven is right here, as Christ Jesus taught, and God helps us all to know this." The student's smile lighted up the room. "I'm so glad to hear that," he said and hurried off.

Driving home that day, remembering how delighted this student was to learn of his right to experience the kingdom of heaven, I felt new appreciation for my early Sunday School training. I had been taught Christ Jesus' promise "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20, 21). Ever since childhood I had trusted this Biblical teaching. Rested in it. I simply expected the goodness of God—heaven—to be with me at all times. And this simple, childlike trust had brought considerable blessings.

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