Maybe the oxygen debt forced us to consider our mortality. Maybe the burning muscles made us yearn for an eternity free of pain. Maybe the exquisite beauty of nature gave us a glimpse into the unending glory awaiting us beyond this temporal realm.

But regardless of the reason, the conversation during our run through the foothills shifted to the topic of Heaven. And one of the Cross Country guys, who is a remarkably creative and cerebral kid, said, “I’m looking forward to people in Heaven actually understanding my mind and my imagination.”

I smiled. He’s an artist. And whether the artist employs an acrylic medium or literary canvas, an artist allows his audience partial access to his soul. He expresses his thoughts through his creations, but he can sometimes feel unseen, misunderstood, or unappreciated. 

But ultimately, every artist has an audience of One, and the eternal Artist promises that one day we will all “know fully, even as we have been fully known.”  

I’m looking forward to that, too.

1 Corinthians 13:12