Disclaimer: This short story is an allegory/parable meant to convey a spiritual truth, not to describe a physical object in Heaven.
Lately, during times of pain, I picture God’s throne room. At one end of the long room opposite the throne stands huge, ornately carved double gold doors on well oiled hinges that open at the lightest touch. But in the wall right beside the throne stands a narrow, rough wooden door that seems out of place in this magnificent room. I am among a bedraggled stream of people stumbling into the throne room through it. But a wondrous thing instantly happens to us upon breathing the calm, happy, atmosphere here! The bent frames straighten and the weary faces brighten as each one of us is personally welcomed and tenderly touched by our Savior. He draws us aside one by one for a heart-to-heart conversation during which a small, shining gift is placed in each pair of eager hands. The glow illuminates our faces even as each eventually turns to leave. On the way out through that rough door, I notice the dark, irregular letters gouged deeply and crudely into the wood. P-A-I-N. I realize we are the sufferers who have used this shortcut. Our pain has brought us directly to the throne! 
And what are the glowing presents we carry back to the dark side?
Peace to rest in the sweet embrace of the Shepherd
Power to persevere through the pain
Perspective to see God’s victorious kingdom even on earth.
Perspective– Think of a young child whose view is often blocked by things/people taller than him. He can’t see the big view from close to ground level. But when his daddy lifts him up in his arms, he can see what he couldn’t see on his own. I think that’s what God’s Spirit does for us. He lifts us up to get the big picture. With his help, we can comprehend better what God is doing in us, in our family, and in our world. Just like a loving Dad lifting us up and pointing out things to see, the Spirit shows us wondrous things we can’t see by ourselves.
Lately, he’s been showing dear Husband and I that his aged parents who want to go home to Heaven, but are stuck in failing bodies are still doing God’s Kingdom work. They are passing on to younger generations their hope in God and recounting his faithfulness with funny, scary, real-life stories. Only eternity will fully disclose their influence even in their last weak years. We are seeing God’s kingdom advancing one conversation at a time. He will be victorious!
“I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.” Isaiah 45:23
“he humbled himself in obedience to God
. . . and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11
Power– Every one of us runs low on our own resources at some point. As we age, we lose physical strength and possibly mental strength. No matter our age, circumstances can deplete our emotional, and even our spiritual strength. No one is enough for everything life throws at us. Everyone needs help. Who better to help us than the Almighty Creator himself?! The good news is that he is in the business of coming alongside us and giving us what we lack. But we have to admit our need. He doesn’t step into our strength, he steps into our weakness.
“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it [a physical ailment] away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Peace– Rest is reserved for those who believe God and obey him. We can’t have rest when we’re being disobedient. Just because we’re part of a faith community, doesn’t guarantee that we’re right with God. Only the minority of the millions of God’s people who were delivered from Egypt by God’s mighty hand truly believed, obeyed, and rested in God.
“And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.
For only we who believe can enter his rest. . . So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.” Hebrews 3:16-19, Hebrews 4:3,6-7 Taken from Psalm 95:7-11
Psalm 95 has lot to say about the rest God offers us. God is watching over us, caring for us, and guiding us. (Motivation to worship!) Yet some of us keep testing God by doubting his goodness even though we can see all the ways he has cared for us. We wander off doubting his goodness, and doing our own thing instead of doing what he tells us. As a result, we never experience the deep, soul-soothing peace he offers.
“Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care.
If only you would listen to his voice today!
The Lord says, ‘Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did… in the wilderness.’For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw everything I did.
For forty years I was angry with them, and I said,
‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’” Psalm 95:6-11
“For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17