May 21, 2012

Closer To Heaven

There are a few things you can do in this life to get closer to heaven.  My short list includes (1) spend more time in the mountains; (2) love a lot, and as much as possible stay on good terms with the people you love; (3) forgive, and seek forgiveness; and (4) build tree houses and hang out in them.


When I married Cheri last April (yes, it's already been more than a year!) I got three additional "kids" and two grandsons as part of the deal.  The grandsons, Nate and Jake, live somewhere in Indiana in a house with a large lot, the permimiter of which is wooded with undergrowth and trees.  Trees.  Grandsons.  As if in a black and white dream the vision came to me -- treehouse!


And then, with a few posts and sticks, the clearing of a little brush, the vision itself became clearer.  Others caught the vision and became excited.  Yes, by George!  A treehouse!


We came, and we saw.  We put the hammer down.  We drilled, and leveled, and fastened.  And slowly, measure by measure, the dream took shape.

 


 




It was a family effort, working together, sharing a vision, sharing a dream, getting closer to each other and closer to heaven all the while.




X marks the spot for a break.


The picture above shows Nate and Jake up in the "crow's nest" of their new tree house, a little closer to heaven.  The picture below shows my daughter, Jessica, about age 3, up in a tree house we built together about 22 years ago out of old packing crates and scrap wood.  A scrappier and more modest effort, perhaps, but overall the same idea and the same result.  Spending quality time and working together to get a little closer to heaven.


3 comments:

  1. I'll bet the boys have many hours of fun in their tree house. Nice!

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  2. It bring home the point that our investment in something that seems so minor in the Greater Scheme of things really is not minor at all. I am certain that treehouse will serve to be many things for those boys and other children over the years and you are certainly closer to heaven for taking the time with them to create it.

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