Old Order Mennonite Memoirs

"They think because I sew and bake

And sweep a white pine floor,

I never think of winding roads

Somewhere beyond my door!

They think me deaf to messages

Of winds in trees that bend

And sway in sheer abandonment,

While all I do is mend!

'Tis true, my body dwells at home

While a white shoreline calls

The roving heart and soul of me

Beyond these humble walls!

And so I sing and bake my bread

And baste my narrow seams,

But while I put my loaves in pans

My heart is light with dreams!"

This unknown author wrote the language of my heart. Singing goes well with sewing, baking, mending and cleaning inside my humble walls but chills haunt me too much when I'm feeding calves.

The black and white picture, like a dream, hints of restless sea waves lapping on shores while palm trees wave gently in the soft breeze. I admit it would be more pleasant to be the person sitting in that comfortable setting rather than me, shrugging on my layers of coats to confront the consistent, cloudy coldness of the Cove's February. But my heart is not 'light with dreams' about such an earthly shore.

When I looked in my Strong's Bible concordance for "heaven," I found columns of phrases for reference. When I looked for hymns about heaven, I was astonished at their volume.

I cannot share them all with you but Aldine S. Kieffer calls it "a city of light mid the stars where they know not a sorrow or care. The gates are of pearl and the streets are of gold and the building exceedingly fair."

Robert S. Arnold says there are "no tears in heaven or sadness and all will glory in that land. There with our Savior, we'll be forever, where no more sorrow can dismay."

Gladys Yonkman writes about "its jasper walls and crystal sea' and 'we'll never roam once we reach home in heaven above."

Lousia E. "loves to think of her home above in that glorious realms of light, in that land where there is no night."

William M. Golden says "a rose is blooming there for me.... and a love-light beams across the foam to light the shores of home."

Elsie, Jack and Jim say it's "where the tree of life is blooming and the roses never fade."

A. S. Bridgwater says "in heaven, no drooping nor pining, no wishing for elsewhere to be. The angels so sweetly are singing; sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing."

Eliza E. Hewitt encourages us for "when traveling days are over', there's 'not a shadow, not a sigh."

James Rowe says "rest to our souls will be given on the eternal shore, that beautiful home of the ransomed beside the crystal sea."

Ellen H. Gates says it is "where Jesus of Nazareth stands, the King of all kingdoms forever and He holds our crowns in His hands."

A. S. Doughty writes that "sickness and death cannot enter in this home of the soul."

Josiah K. Alwood calls it the "land of the unclouded day."

W. Oliver Cooper writes about our journey to heaven, "often hindered and burdened so heavy we almost fall. We have trials, toils and tears. Many a heartache may here appall." He claims to "endure the pain till he shall hear the death angel call" because "heaven will surely be worth it all."

And Mrs. Elizabeth Drudge questions if we "would truly long for heaven, if this life was perfect here, if we had no pain or heartache, if we never shed a tear, if we had no disappointments and our dreams would all come true. Could we keep that heavenly vision and that deep eternal view?"