I was blessed to spend about 5 days in southern Florida last week. First real vacation in four years – and a much-needed one! A good friend, and fellow widow, invited me to stay with her in her beautiful condo. Ever since I returned, I’ve been describing this trip as “perfect.”

Weather was sunny and mid 70s after some nasty weather in the weeks leading up to my visit. We relaxed around the pool and at the beach. Walked or kayaked every morning. Ate dinner at some of my friend’s favorite places (and now mine.) Watched a variety of movies in the evening. And lots of great girlfriend time and conversations. We even went to her church on Sunday (great sermon and amazing music) and a Bible study on Repentance (Yikes) mid-week.

I left with my tank full, and with gratitude in my heart for my friend’s generosity, and for God’s goodness displayed in so many ways.

The picture above was taken on my last evening in Florida, at a restaurant near Naples and clearly, right on the beach. This was just a few moments after the sun set. Isn’t it spectacular? And we know photos can never really capture the incredible beauty of what we see in person. Once again, pretty close to perfection, isn’t it?

So why the title “contest?” Because there is a difference, and I want to chat about that for a bit. In the end, this is a most hopeful discourse!

Most of us have likely gazed upon even a minuscule sample of God’s glorious creation. Whether it be an incredible sunset or sunrise, majestic mountains, intricate flowers, interesting and hilarious creatures, or a newborn baby – we are blown away by their beauty and yes, perfection in our eyes. Some even bring us to tears.

God has been gracious in allowing us to live in and enjoy these beautiful moments in our lives. He knows, and we’ve all experienced, what ugliness in this world looks like. Natural disasters and human “disasters” populate so much of our lives, seemingly in increasing amounts.

So, glimpses of God’s majesty are necessary reminders of his character and his love for us. We are right to be in awe of that.

Decades ago when I first read Randy Alcorn’s book, “Heaven,” I took away a powerful truth that has informed my view of this created world ever since. The truth is also biblical, but somehow I hadn’t put all the pieces together until I read “Heaven.”

It’s easy for us to think that when believers die, we go up to Heaven, and that’s where we will spend eternity. It’s certainly not a bad place. Our believing friends and family who have gone before us are with Jesus in Paradise – just as he promised the thief on the cross. “Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise.”

Who can complain about that? There are many days when I could use a little paradise. And, to a great degree, I think I just left some of that in Florida!

So, here’s where the future – our eternity – is taken to a whole new level.

Without getting into all the theology and discussion in the book of Revelation, the truth is this: our final home, where we will spend the rest of eternity, is back on this restored earth. Not up in the clouds forever.

God will bring his creation, our current home, back to its intended perfection. If you want more details and more scripture to back this up, the website, GotQuestions, has a helpful article.

Talk about true perfection! No way we can really get our heads around what that will be like. But this I know to be true – every time I’m blown away by a gorgeous sunset or majestic mountain view or any of the other “wow” earthly moments, it will only be an imperfect substitute for what we’ll experience for eternity.

I don’t claim to have a clue just how that will work. All I know is that my view of God expands when I remind myself that this earthly, tainted sunset will (eventually) be exponentially more glorious than I could possibly imagine. It will be true perfection, in the eternal sense.

Being reminded of this truth, sometimes daily, helps me keep persevering when it seems all is falling apart around me.

It lifts my spirit, and it lifts my eyes up to the God of the Universe, whose creation is a reminder of the true perfection ahead for all who put their trust in Jesus.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”

for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.

Revelation 21:1