In August, my 12 grandchildren all came visiting, and for this grandma it was absolutely glorious. Normally these kids are separated by thousands of miles, and there are no words good enough to describe the deep satisfaction I felt when this pint-sized crowd came together.

Burned in my memory is the moment the two groups stood face-to-face for the first time – 6 from the UK, 6 from the USA. (Most were too little to remember a visit 4 years ago, and some hadn’t even been born yet.)

Thankfully, social media has allowed bits of communication between them over the years, but in that first meeting at my house this summer, the 12 of them stood looking at each other – in the flesh at last – and didn’t know what to say. It was a wow-moment I’ll never forget witnessing as they stood looking at each other without a word.

Then Skylar, the oldest at age 10 (on the right), pointed at one of her British cousins. “Are you Evelyn?” 

“Yes!” Evelyn said (on the left). “And you are…. Skylar?”

“Right!”

Laughter followed, along with further introductions, and as the encounter unfolded, I felt I’d been given a gift. The proof of its value was that I had goose-bumps on a hot summer day.

It didn’t take long for these 12 young relatives to link arms and run off together, ready to share in some brand new cousin-fun.

That night, while I was thanking God for these precious grandchildren, he gave me a special thought. One day I will meet Jesus – in the flesh at last – and there just might be some similarities to what I watched happen earlier that day as my grandkids met.

I already know some things about Jesus from Scripture, which is sort of like divine social media. I know him, but the two of us have never met in the flesh. And sometimes I try to imagine what that’ll be like.

The words to a song entitled “I can only imagine” are wondering the same thing:

Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all?

Though I’ve anticipated meeting Jesus my whole life, the only thing I know for sure is that when the moment comes, I’ll have goose-bumps…. no matter what the weather. When I stand in front of him, my guess is there will be a momentous silence like what my grands experienced. After that, our face to face meeting will surely prompt deep joy and maybe even some shared laughter.

And then, just like my 12, Jesus and I may hurry off together, arm-in-arm, ready to share in some brand new brother-sister fun.

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)