Glimpses:

As the wheels of our plane hit the runway in Cuba, our entire plane simultaneously erupts into a unanimous applause where everyone is hooting with joy. 

Being able to go home must be an incredible feeling, to return to the place where you grew up, where you felt both known and loved.  For many of the passengers on the plane, this is a homecoming since the travel restrictions placed on Cuban Americans have prevented many of them from visiting. 

After we finally find all 460+lbs of luggage, we go through doors open where a massive group of Cubans surround the metal fence marking the front of the airport.  As Christina and I make our way through the front gate, we are greeted with an anticipating crowd, who are all waving and searching for loved ones.

For the next thirty minutes as we load the luggage into the car, I watch strangers embrace their loved ones.  I see an uncle and an aunt jump up and down, waving excitedly at their niece and nephew who have come for a summer.  I witness grandparents cry as they meet their newly born grandchildren for the first time. 

The scene at the airport was beautiful, honestly.  It made me want to cry and laugh and hug a random stranger, but the side of me that believes in social acceptability in a foreign country refrained.  But, really, it felt like …

It felt like a glimpse of heaven. 

I imagine that when we get to heaven, all we will feel is an immense amount of joy and fullness, for we have finally reached the place we have longed for all our lives.  Not only that, there will be all these people that loved us through the hard parts, shared in our joys, and left to go home before we got to say goodbye waiting for us at the gate to welcome us home. 

And, what’s more, Jesus will be there and we will finally glimpse Him face to face, which will make all the suffering and hard stuff we had to go through seem worth it.

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Here’s to being reminded of the kingdom of heaven in the Havana, Cuba airport.