What's 85 years when we will have forever

Let's say I live to be 85 years old. Probably more because I have good oral hygiene and I'm a vegetarian. But maybe less because I don't own any pets. So 85ish years on Earth.

I've lived nearly 25 of them so far. So just 60 left. The first 25 have been really difficult. There were a few very blissful years off and on where I was really loving life. But most of it's been crap, let's be honest. I'm a cynic and I'm not good at looking on the bright side. I've frequently been in despair thinking "what if the rest of my life is just as bad? What if it never gets any better? What if I am never happy?" And let's be honest, I won't be. I can never be happy on Earth. No one truly can.

But what is 85 years when I have forever? Okay, so actually forever minus 85 years. What I mean is this. Right now I'm on Earth, where it sucks. I do not know if things will ever get better. There's nothing telling me it will be. But I absolutely believe in heaven, and I absolutely believe that I will be happy there, and life there will be totally awesome. In heaven, I will be beautiful and I will be loved and I won't cry alone in my bed at night. Instead, I will dine with the Lord at his banquet table. I will be surrounded by the glory of God for the rest of eternity.

So what's 85 years?

This is a new perspective for me, you know. It's not like I've been thinking this for a long time. I've been thinking ten years is too long. I've been asking God "What the hell?"

Just imagine the one person you love more than anybody. That person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Maybe you're married to them already, maybe you are going to marry them sometime, maybe you just love them dearly. Think of that person. I've never loved anybody, so it makes the imagining for me a lot easier.

Someone says to you, "For the next three years you are going to go through hell alone, but after that, the one you love will be with you until the day you die, and your life together will be happy."

I know what you're thinking. Is this "someone" wearing gypsy clothing and telling you this out of the back of her caravan? But let's just pretend that it's legit. You'd be willing to go three years, wouldn't you? For that? For happiness with the one you love until the day you die?

Put it into perspective. Forever in heaven with God is twice as long as 85 years. Wouldn't you give half your time in a terrible crap-hole of a life if it meant pure bliss and perfection for the other half? No? Well, actually, I did the math wrong. Forever in heaven surrounded by the glory of God is actually five times as long as 85 years. Wouldn't you give that? 1/5th of your time living in horrible, wretched circumstances, if for the other 4/5ths of it you got to live in a posh palace with a gorgeous new body, surrounded by love? Well, get this. Forever in heaven with God is actually infinitely longer than 85 years. I did the math wrong before. But now I've got it right.

So what is 85 years of hell on Earth, when you've got eternity with God in heaven? The circumstances of this world, I am not so sure about. It could get better, but it will probably get worse. But of heaven, I am certain. I am certain that it will be perfect and wonderful, and will last an infinitesimal amount of time.

I know what you're thinking. Joelle, did you get put on Prozac? No. I just got put into a different perspective.