When your spouse—or any dearly loved one—has gone on ahead of you, it’s natural to spend more time imagining what that reunion will be like.

Back in the early days after Dale’s passing, I wrote a blog about a powerful “a-ha” moment I had while wrestling with the idea that there is no marriage in heaven between a husband and a wife.  Heavenly marriage is between Christ and his bride, the Church.

At the time, I found myself lamenting that maybe my relationship with Dale for eternity would somehow be “less” than what we had here on earth as husband and wife. Looking back, that was a pretty silly concern (you can read about in my 2018 post).

Every “first Friday,” I meet a dear friend from our church in Earlham. We’re both widows now, and our husbands knew each other well. Last week, as we sat together, I shared a Dale story with her that reminded me exactly why life with him was so much fun.

Let me set the stage.

We were living on our last acreage out by Earlham at the time. Dale and our neighbor—let’s call him Bob—were both retired and, every so often, managed to get themselves into a little mischief.

If you’ve ever lived in the country, you know that “controlled burns” are just part of life. They clear the land and make way for fresh, healthy growth.

One afternoon, as I drove home from work, I noticed smoke rising behind our outbuilding. Sure enough, Dale and Bob were out there tending to a burn. I headed back to check in and let them know I was home.

The first thing I did was scan the area for safety measures—a hose, a few shovels—anything that might indicate they were ready to keep this fire in check. Nothing. Nada.

So, naturally, I asked, “How exactly are you guys controlling this fire?”

Without missing a beat, Dale grinned and said, “We’re drinking beer.”

I’ll let you imagine what their plan for “control” might have been.

Pretty sure my response involved a dramatic eye roll and something along the lines of, “Really? That’s your plan?”

In the end, no harm was done—no drama, no accidents—just another “only Dale” kind of moment.

For those who never had the joy of knowing him, this story sums him up perfectly: fun-loving, lighthearted, and never one to take life too seriously.

He made me laugh that day, and telling the story last week made me laugh all over again.  And in that laughter, I had another realization—one that ties beautifully to the lesson I wrote about back in 2018.

The joy and delight of that memory had nothing to do with being married. That moment would have been just as funny and sweet if we’d only been friends. And that’s exactly how it will be when we’re together again in eternity.

The truth is, we don’t lose one ounce of joy or connection with the ones who have gone before us. In fact, those moments will be richer, deeper, and far more fulfilling than anything we can imagine here.

No marriage required.  Just a perfect Agape love relationship.

One last thought about the image: I chose something that looks more like the Garden of Eden than the common “heavenly” picture of people sitting on clouds strumming harps. That’s because eternity will be spent here on a renewed and restored earth—not floating around as wispy, cloud-dwelling spirits! If you’d like to dig deeper into this, I highly recommend the resources from Eternal Perspective Ministries.

But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9