THINK OF THE MOST EXHILARATING, satisfying relationship you have ever had—parent, child, spouse or friend. Then ponder this staggering thought—the least relationship you will have in the Kingdom of God will be much more intimate and exhilarating. Earthly families and friendships are a type or shadow, pale as it may be, of the one huge, eternal family that God is building.

Ponder these amazing thoughts about God's eternal family:

• Never-ending improvement: If you can develop close ties with others over the course of twenty, thirty or eighty years, how much stronger will be the ties you develop if you have eternity to nurture them.
• The removal of all impediments: You can think of hosts of folks you would not want to spend eternity with. They have either hurt you, or you simply find their company irritating. God has set Himself to remove these impediments, ensuring that you will not feel that way about a single brother in God's family.

Long version