As I walked through the brilliance of a field now bathed in light, through gentle caressing breezes which flowed over lily and daisy, I basked in the warmth of something I had never known: a love of God.

I now embraced a love and tenderness toward Jesus I had never sought, but now had found.

As I had journeyed from the grave and thought of these things, I had been completely unaware of a stream I had crossed in delight, when suddenly a little girl came running toward me, dragging along a beautiful woman also prancing along behind her.

“Do you remember me?”

I looked at her loving face and smiled.

“You showed me your picture of Heaven,” I recalled as I smiled again.

“This is my mommy!”

I was certain.

“Jesus sent us here to show you the way.”

She beamed in that same love that she had said her mommy had every time she talked about Jesus.

Now I saw this same love in the souls of both child and her beautiful mommy.

“You know what?” she exclaimed.

“JESUS said that we can call God, ‘Daddy.’”

I smiled in joy and reached out my hand to her, THANKFUL that Jesus had sent this little girl to me with a picture of Heaven.

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A Picture of Heaven is dedicated to our beloved daughter, Rachel Katherine Harned, whose mommy died when she was seven. Rachel earned her Master of Arts in Christian Counseling from Wheaton College, currently works for a local hospice and will turn age 21 tomorrow, 21 September, 2013.

Happy Birthday, Rachel.

Your Daddy loves you.