Biggest Place on the Map

Last Sunday I walked into church and was greeted by a friend who gently said, “Pam Rimer passed away this morning.” 
My friend Pam

I stared at her. Surely I’d heard incorrectly. 

“What did you say?” 

“Kim, Pam died this morning.” 

“No she did not!” I said. “No, she did NOT!” 

But she did. Suddenly, unexpectedly, at age 50. 

There was a time long ago when the population of Heaven was not personal to me. But now when I think of those I love who are in the presence of Jesus, the list is long, and will only grow longer. Pam’s death brings Heaven close once again. 

Today I read this excerpt from an old booklet a friend gave me, Pell’s Notes, the July 1911 issue:

“You have heard of Brownsville all your life. But Brownsville never meant anything to you until a year ago when a loved one went there to live. Now the mere mention of the name sends the blood rushing to your heart. Brownsville? Why, Brownsville is everything to you now. Before it was a mere name: now it is the biggest place on the map. You pass over the big headlines in the morning paper to find the little news items from Brownsville at the bottom of the column on the last page. Jones died in Brownsville yesterday. They have begun to pave the street in Brownsville. Mrs. Smith, of Brownsville, gave a dinner and your son was there! What an interesting place is Brownsville! And it all came about because a loved one went to Brownsville to live a year ago. 


So you have heard of the other world—the unseen world—all your life, but it never meant anything to you until the other day when a loved one went there to live. And at last heaven is real to you. Before it was a mere name. Now it is the biggest place, the most interesting place on the map of the universe. Every time you hear heaven mentioned the blood goes rushing to your heart. You have a vital connection with heaven now; you feel that you have a part and lot in it. And it is all because your loved one—a part of yourself—has gone there to live. We may talk eloquently about the invisible life, but it is all mere poetry until we go ourselves or until a part of ourselves goes there in the person of a loved one. It takes death to reveal heaven—either our own or the death of one whom love has knitted to us as a part of ourselves.” 

Thank You, Jesus, for preparing heaven for us (John 14:2, 3 ) and providing the way to get there (John 14:6). And thank you, Pam, for pointing us to God and His heaven, through both your life and your death. Meet you in Brownsville!

16 comments:

  1. Hi Kim,
    Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.
    Thanks for sharing your story and using it to turn our hearts and minds toward heaven.
    (Visiting from the Thrive @ Home link-up.)

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    1. Thank you for visiting, Shannon, and staying to comment. I have a friend who always comments after someone of faith dies, "Hooray for her, boo hoo for us." But our HOORAY is coming one day...and I want to live a life like Pam did: she loved God and she loved others, and she did both very, very well.... Thanks again, Shannon.

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  2. Yes. Heaven grows nearer and sweeter every time a dear one passes from this life into the next. Bits and pieces of my heart go on ahead until, in God's good time, there will be more of my heart there than here. "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim. . . " I'm comforted by the knowledge that in Heaven, my heart will be whole again. Thanks for a beautiful, homesickness-inducing post.

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    1. Lori, I love how you've described how are hearts go ahead of us and eventually we're more there than here! Thank you for reading, commenting, encouraging. And thank you for being my friend....forever! :)

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  3. This is beautiful Kim and you have captured the true essence of Pam. She will be greatly missed here on earth but Heaven gained a beautiful Angel and I'm positive Pam was met by Jesus with "Welcome Home My Daughter, Well done my good and faithful servant". I can only pray that I can touch and reach others the way Pam did with her sweet and loving spirit.

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    1. Renne, I agree that Pam's death reminds us once again that God has given us a finite amount of days on earth before relocating to our eternal Home with Him...and so, like you, I am more passionate than ever to live like Pam did: wholeheartedly loving God and people. Yes, her reward is great in Heaven....and we will one day join her in the celebration she is experiencing now that we cannot even begin to imagine! God bless you abundantly, Renee, as you continue to shine so brightly for Jesus!

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    2. This is more true than you know. First time I heard of Vincennes,Indiana was 1999. That area of the world became very important to me and is what actually brought me to Crossroads, where I met Kim Jackson, who is from there. This is where I became friends with Pam,also. God lead me to the best role models I could ever ask for to show me where the most important destination of all is. I hope I can be a role model for someone, also. I learned from the best!

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    3. Suzanne, thank you for your kind words and encouragement! I am so glad that God uses my words to challenge and inspire! Yes, it's amazing how He brings people together for HIs glory and our good....Praising Him today for you, my friend!

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  4. Kim, I am sorry for the loss of your friend. I am sitting here amazed because this morning I received news that a long time & precious friend had lost her fight with liver cancer & passed. I am amazed at the way God crosses the paths of His children even through linkups. May you take comfort in the truth that we do not grieve without hope. We have that hope of reuniting one day & that is the truth we hold onto. Our girlfriends are there waiting. May God bring you His comfort & peace. Am praying for both of us & for their families at this time.

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    1. Wow....I am amazed too at God's timing and how He connects people in ways we never could! I am praying for you, too, and I so appreciate your encouragement. YES! Our friends are there waiting....that IS hopeFULL, and we can live the days God gives us as part of their legacy of love! Thank you for reading, commenting, encouraging!

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  5. I'm sorry to hear of your loss, Kim. Yes, heaven gets sweeter by the day. Not to be morbid at all, but the closer I grow to Him and the more my loved ones go, the more I long to be there.

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  6. What a wonderful tribute to Pam and what a wonderful perspective on heaven, Kim. I love that excerpt from a booklet written 103 years ago that is still relevant today. Thanks for making me think of all who are waiting for me in "Brownsville"--my parents and grandparents, friends I've known and friends I have yet to know.

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  7. So sorry for your loss. I recently lost a friend to cancer a few weeks ago. I'm so glad we have the assurance that they are in the presence of God!

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  8. Sorry about your loss, Kim. Yes, when our friends slip into eternity, our eyes to focus on our lives beyond this one. I'm sending a prayer to the family.

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  9. I'm so sorry Kim. I know what you mean about Heaven being on the map since a friend passed recently and is there. I just wrote a post this morning sort of on the same topic. We must be thinking alike. Great minds!!

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  10. Kim - I am so sorry for your loss! I get that though, how "the population of heaven becomes real" as we loose those special to us! Somehow we claw to understand, fight for a way to be nearer. Big {{hug}} to you this coming week! Thanks for UNITING, Jen

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Each week I write a BOG (Brag On God) post. My prayer is that my words will invite you to brag on God, too. And together we'll make God smile.