The night he left.

It was like a piece of our family disappeared.

He is such a part of us, to imagine any time, no matter how brief, without him, would be like seeing a colorless rainbow, an ocean without a wave, or a beach without sand.

We knew he had to go. But knowing this was only a temporary separation, made it a bit easier.

Though our hearts filled with sorrow at the thought of time without him, this was nothing compared to the joy that replaced those thoughts, when we considered what he was leaving us to do.

You could see it in his eyes, the grief of goodbye, and yet the thrill of knowing where this goodbye would lead him.

And then, as fast as lightning rips through the sky, he was gone.

We were told to wait for his signal.

Then, 3…2…1…

The trumpet blew one long blast, and all of us, every single one, dropped into the night sky.

Above shepherds and their flocks, we hung suspended, lighting up the black night with the worship and magnificence of Heaven. We sang for hours about the glory of God. We called out at random the praises of His name. From one end of the heavens to the other, resounding joy poured out of us in song and spoken word. We knew the people God loves, we love, would be shown a love they’d never known.

It was breathtaking.

And then as fast as it started, it was over.

After years on earth, and one long inhale and exhale in Heaven, He came home. And we were whole again.

Though billions of saints have come here, and millions are still on the earth, there is deep pain that saturates the ground where God’s image bearers reside. God’s foe has grown stronger each day. Satan has worked with meticulous accuracy to ensure families are ripped apart. He has fueled such hatred in the hearts of humans, that the only option they believe they have, is to take life away from others, even sometimes, their very own. He has given people false hope, false peace, and false freedom since he first crawled into Eden.

Until today.

Today, we wait. We wait again for His signal.

For the second and final time, the clouds will roll back like a scroll, the trumpet will once again blast, but this time the entire world will hear, and we will drop into the night sky. Satan will be defeated, God’s people will come home, and His plan will be fulfilled. Our worship on the night of His birth was spell-binding, but today, our worship will shake the earth.

3…2…