When we lose people in our community at a young age, we are so quick to say, "They had so much life ahead of them." Which is true- it's hard to watch a girl die before she's able to experience falling in love. It's hard to watch a five-year-old boy pass before he can go to school, play on a sports team, and graduate high school with honors.

I'm so excited about my future: getting a job, getting married, buying a house, having kids. Everything about growing up and growing old with someone excites me. I literally pray every day about my future because I know it's going to be so, so good.

The other day, I was with some friends who mentioned how excited they were about the thought of Heaven. They laughed, saying things like "Take me now!" They were so, so sure of how good Heaven is.They were so confident that Heaven was so much better than anything on this earth could be.

And you know what? I'm not. I'm not so sure that I would leave for Heaven at the drop of a hat. I'm not ready to give up the opportunity to see what my future holds. I want all the things that my future could bring me so, so badly, and I don't honestly believe that Heaven is better.

Wow.

I've re-read that paragraph about five times.

How stupid of me. I'm fully aware how perfect and wonderful Heaven is. Actually, it's better than that. It's better than my wildest dreams. It's indescribably perfect and sweet and fun and exciting. It's better than the most perfect of marriages, the prettiest of houses, and the cutest of kids. It's better than anything I could imagine.

It's not bad that I want the things that my future could bring. Marriage is such a beautiful thing that can honor the Lord so well. Having a family and raising my children to know and love the Lord isn't a bad thing at all. It's not that I want things that the Lord wouldn't want for me, but I am putting so much more value on the "good" things of this world than on Heaven: perfect, indescribably wonderful Heaven.

You know what? The thought of spending every day of the rest of your life with a man who is completely and utterly in love with you and the Lord sounds phenomenal. So why doesn't spending every day of the rest of your life with the Lord, who created you and knows the number of hairs on your head and loves you more than anything, sound even more incredible?

Why do I doubt? Why do I worry about "missing out?" The Lord doesn't plan on making me "miss out" on anything good. His plan for me is the best possible plan for my life.

So while I don't want my time on this earth to end any time soon, I know that Heaven is greater than anything this world has to offer. I know that the Lord's plan for me is so sweet, and I know that I'm never going to be "missing out" on anything. And while my heart races at the thought of falling in love, getting a great job, and living a sweet little life with a sweet little family, I know that Heaven is more wonderful thrilling, and perfect than any marriage or cute kid could be. And that, my friends, is something to be excited about.