Nashville and my Roomies

I spent 4 days in Nashville at a conference.  I took my 8-year-old and a good friend to watch her while I was in meetings.  (I will henceforth refer to them as my roomies.). The night before the conference began, we drove into town around 4 p.m. and checked in at the Hilton.  On a whim I called for any tickets to the 7 p.m. Grand Old Opry.  Apparently you can be so fortunate as to call at just the right time, for I was able to snag tickets on the 7th row of the center section.  Sweet!  It was so fun and even the youngster enjoyed the show.

On Sunday morning I was sitting in a meeting instead of church. That felt weird. Then I got a text message from my roomies informing me that on the hotel elevator they forgot to press the button for the Lobby and ended up on the 9th floor.  The doors opened and there sat Little Richard in a wheelchair, all decked out in a blue suit and blue boots.  According to the locals, he lives in the Nashville Hilton and my roomies accidentally discovered him!  They said he was very nice and wished them well on their stay in town.

As I continued learning about all things financial aid over the next few days, my roomies hit the town.  The toured museums, took carriage rides, visited markets and parks (one with a replica of the Parthenon), ate ice cream every afternoon and generally behaved like tourists.  I was only slightly envious since I did get to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum with them.

On the last night we met up with an old friend of mine from high school.  It had been 25 years since I had seen him and I had never met his family.  He and his wife have 4 girls ages 7 to 12. We met up at a place called the Old Spaghetti Factory and commandeered a table for nine.  After the initial awkwardness of meeting so many new people, we all relaxed and enjoyed a great visit.

This trip got me thinking about heaven.  I imagine we will get a great view of center stage, meet famous people from the Bible, take a tour of the beauty that surrounds us, eat the most wonderful foods, and visit with friends and family we haven't seen in a quarter century or longer. We'll be just like tourist who never have to leave.  Won't that be fabulous?

Isaiah 65:17a, 18b For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.  For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy.