I've had out-of-town company for the past few days. On one outing we went to Magic Wings a butterfly conservatory. This is like a botanical garden to which 4,000 butterflies of all colors have been added. Adults and children walk around in wonder as beautiful butterflies land on beautiful flowers. The world is at peace there. Nature is in blissful harmony.

I sat quietly on a park bench in the middle of the gardens and watched the butterflies. An elderly man at a nearby bench did the same. After a while he spoke. Very softly he said "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I agreed.

"I think, " he continued in a soft tone, as if to not disturb the butterflies, "that this is what heaven must be like."

I smiled.

"At least it is a foretaste." he said.

He then looked at me, waiting for me to continue the conversation. I started going through my brain's catalogue of theological statements about heaven, and then just stopped doing the mental index. This was an old fellow talking to me about the life after his death.

"Wouldn't that be lovely? A heaven full of such splendor." I said.

A butterfly landed on my hand. Just then. I lifted it close to my eyes, so I could get a good look. Its proboscis felt my hand, looking for something behind the scent of cologne. If I concentrated very hard I could almost feel it.

"I think there must be butterflies in heaven." he added. Then he paused, watching me stare at the butterfly who was determinedly prodding my hand looking for nectar. "After all," he sad," if He made them here, He could make them there, right?"

"Right," I said with a big smile. "Right you are."

The butterfly had been joined by a second. People were taking pictures. The same two butterflies would lift up and fly off for a minute and then start hovering again over my hand. I spoke to them in a gentle whisper, telling them it was OK to land, that no harm would come to them. I told them they would be safe and secure. Then they would land again. They did this over and over during a half hour period. I was amazed and captivated.

And then I wondered if one was saying to the other "Do you think heaven is like this, where they tell us that we can land because we are safe and we really are secure?"

I imagine that almost everyone has wishes for a life after this -- in the TV show "The Actor's Studio", every guest is asked the following question as part of a set of questions at the end of the show.

"If there is a heaven, what do you want God to say to you when you arrive?"

My question is different -- it would not be what you wanted God to say, but what you would want heaven to BE.

Tell me yours -- and I'll tell you mine.

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RELATED BLOGS

Shaun and Doreen visited a butterfly conservatory across the country from me and posted lovely pics of their boys with butterflies landing on them.

Leah went to the same place that I did. And she also took pictures.

Momnaction defines heaven on earth as

3 days

No kids

No husband

2 girlfriends

1 ocean

Mata H is CE for Religion and Spirituality. She can be found blogging over here at Time's Fool