I have often pondered who Jud might be spending his time with in heaven.

Besides imagining Jud soaking in the glory of Jesus, I initially tended to think of him hanging out with people from our immediate sphere of family and friends: my cousin Matt who died at age 17, my grandparents (though I am not sure whether or not each one of them is in heaven), my friend Tamara’s son John who died at age 5, our friend Carol who was a mentor in my life when Drake and I got married, and possibly other ancestors.

Then it dawned on me. The many people Jud enjoyed reading about in his toddler Bible are also in heaven.  I have since imagined Jud chatting with Job about God’s faithfulness in suffering.  He has probably asked Moses about his experience in the bassinet that was sent down the river (not realizing that Moses has no recollection of his time as a baby).  He has likely sought out the boy who gave his loaves and fishes for Jesus to feed the 5,000.  He may have talked with “blind Bartimaeus” about their shared experience of living without eyesight.  He might be engaging Noah in conversation about animals.  He’s possibly talking with the shepherds, who visited “baby Jesus,” about their encounter with an angel.   

It is so hard to conceptualize heaven, but knowing Jud, he is probably going up to person after person saying, “Hi!  What’s your name?” hoping to strike up a conversation.

I am confident he is absorbing everything around him, and I’m sure he’ll have so much to teach me when I join him.