So yes. One week ago we woke up our five kids at 5am and surprised them that we were leaving for Disney World.
As hoped and as promised, all our Disney dreams magically came true. We sang the Frozen songs along with Elsa&Anna. We rode the Banshees in the fresh-to-park Pandora at Animal Kingdom {uh maze!}. We ate our cream cheese pretzels and chocolate dipped Mickey ice cream bars–repeatedly. We watched the live musical shows like Lion King and Finding Nemo. We braved fast coasters. Harvey took a stroll out of the Hundred Acre Wood with his soul bear–Winnie the Pooh! It was so much intentional and beautiful entertainment. Disney does not disappoint, y’all.
But LIFE does. It does. Even amidst the closest we could be to heaven on earth for families… our kids talked back to us. They fought with each other. And I responded LESS than patiently. We got soaked in the rain. We were hungry. We got lost. We missed rides and miscommunicated with each other.
Cuz that’s life, right guys? Even in Mickey paradise, we got blisters and big headaches.
Because we are waiting for something beyond us. REAL paradise. And just as we couldn’t stand it–we were SO EXCITED to surprise our kids with this trip planned for them–REAL Heaven is being prepared for us all. And it will be magical, supernatural, and perfect. Every last tear will be wiped away, and our lion child will get along with our lamb child.
It rained down in sweet connection and easy conversation over Avatar cheeseburger pods and pink drinks. Heaven came down in forgiving each other for our harsh words and impatience.
Times like when suddenly Adele was belting out her original song about Disney World highlights. Or when we were belly laughing at Joe’s non-jokes. There was a supernatural sweetness to holding hands to stay together in the crowd, but mostly to just holding hands. There were times in line that my cheeks were sore from smiling so big at the gift of having true friends while we waited (and maybe from sunburn too).
My girls were distracted from the heat and exhaustion by the joy of laughing and being truly loved by their favorite people. My heart is waiting for heaven, yes, but so grateful for how God gives us the gift of hope and even purpose in the waiting. And so grateful for how He gives us a connection to the eternal in a week at Walt Disney World.
#magicalsurprise #Hesinthewaiting #friendsonmission #communion#wdwhuutt2017
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