Oct 16, 2008

Desperately Seeking Heaven

By Stephanie Abney

Well, I’m STILL sick and I’ve been resting all week during Fall Break because I have to be well to go back to teaching on Monday… so, hopefully, by the end of the week, I will be better.

As a result of my “lounging around” I have been watching a little too much TV. I should be reading, I know, but TV is just easier. And I think there is always something to learn in every moment of our lives, even watching TV ~ yep, and I’m here to share with you my observations.

You know me, this might be a little lengthy as I set this up, but I hope you take the time to read it, because it really made me think on this “desperately seeking heaven” idea quite a bit.

I got hooked last Spring on “Eli Stone.” (It actually started midseason). I was over at my daughter’s house (Shannon), holding my then new little grandson so she could get something done and she said, “Mom, you would really love this new show. I’ve been tapping it. Why don’t you watch it while you hold Steven?” I protested that I didn’t want to get involved with another show and that it probably wasn’t that good anyway. She handed me the baby and turned the first episode of “Eli Stone.” When it was over, I sat there and watched the next two episodes.

She was right. I LOVED it. “Eli Stone” is sharp, funny, well-written and well-acted. I never miss an episode. Well, it started up again this week and I watched the season premiere and was not disappointed. It was fabulous. If you are unaware of this show, the premise is a San Francisco lawyer has a brain aneurysm and it causes him to have “visions” (of the heavenly kind) but they are so random and goofy ~ they are often like little mini musicals that can range from solo performances by George Michael to elaborate production numbers by the entire cast ~ you would have to watch it to see what I mean. He gets messages that are important to him or his loved ones or even total strangers like when he predicted an earthquake and fought to get some people evacuated ahead of time. And during that vision, the song playing was “I Felt the Earth Move Under My Feet.” Getting anyone to believe him is his biggest challenge because they say he is hallucinating from the aneurysm (despite a pretty good track record) and in this week's episode his boss was in a building that collapsed. Eli knew he was trapped in the stairwell but rescuers were looking elsewhere saying he would have taken the elevator and must be on the main floor. Eli even tried to get a court order to force them to look there (they wouldn’t because they said that area was unstable and the boss wouldn’t be there anyway). I won’t spoil it in case you get to see it sometime but all’s well that end’s well.

But it got me thinking that the world is desperately seeking heaven. I mean, just look at all the TV shows and movies over the years that pertain to some heavenly connection: Touched by an Angel, Highway to Heaven, Joan of Arcadia, Heaven Can Wait, Just Like Heaven, Angels in the Outfield, Unlikely Angel, For Heaven’s Sake, The Preacher’s Wife (& The Bishop’s Wife), It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol (& all its variations), and the list could go on and on.

Why? I think a lot of our brothers and sisters are seeking some confirmation that God is in His heaven and all is well with the world. Sadly, some don’t know where to find such comfort. Maybe we can share what we know with people who are desperately seeking heaven. I do believe that by the choices we make and the service we give, it is possible to have heaven on earth.

I want to thank all those in my life who have been there for me and I hope I’ve been able to be there for someone else when they needed that reassurance that Heavenly Father is in charge of this world and that He loves us and no one needs to feel desperate.

(But I do hope they keep making those kinds of movies and TV shows, because they are some of my favorites).

6 comments:

  1. Yes I too see a sense of desperation and a deep desire to believe in someone bigger than they are, to give meaning to something that seems so meaningless. I too was touched by "angels" along my spiritual journey. And definitely we need to be about our "Father's business." Good post. Excellent reminder.

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  2. So true. We have a great responsibilty to share what we have. I wish I were better at it!

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  3. Great post, Stephanie! Which network shows Eli Stone? It does sound interesting. I hope you are getting better. What a drag to be sick during break time!

    I agree with you. A lot of the world is searching for heaven.

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  4. Great post, Stephanie. Amen to the comments above!

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  5. Thanks for your comments, everyone.

    Kari ~ Eli Stone is on ABC.

    I went back to the doc's yesterday and he did a chest x-ray & blood tests ~ not JUST bronchitis ~ I also have pneumonia... THAT'S why I'm not getting well. So, now I have some meds for that. Hope I'm better soon. Thanks for the good thoughts.

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  6. Loved your blog and the comments. I'm tempted to find the show, but maybe I ought to get caught up on at least one thing first.

    Heaven is, indeed, an interesting place and/or condition to contemplate. I'm as positive as I am about anything that it's there. I just can't quite picture it. The near-death experiences I've read either don't explain, or don't agree, so won't it be exciting to go find out? But that's another thing the fruition of which I'm happy to procrastinate.

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