John Lewis Dyer (1812-1901; pictured above) was a Methodist circuit riding preacher in the 1800’s. These men went out to the very edge of the frontier to preach God’s word to the new settlers. There were no church buildings for the earliest pioneers, so these preachers traveled a wide circuit to meet with small groups of gathered families. The circuit riders were constantly on the move and faced many dangers– bad weather, wild animals, Indian attacks, getting lost, dangerous river crossings, getting sick, or getting hurt. There was no GPS to help them navigate the often unfamiliar territory, and no 911 to call in an emergency. One little mishap could leave them dying alone in the wilderness, and many did. The average life expectancy of a Methodist circuit riding preacher was 40 years. Frontier life was dangerous enough when you were settled and other settlers were nearby. It was much more dangerous for someone alone and always on the move.
John Dyer was one of the toughest and most courageous of those old preachers. He was always moving west, always on the very edge. He started out near Preston, Minnesota in the 1850’s. I was the pastor of the Lutheran church there for nine years, and that is where I heard of him. He ended up in Colorado, riding the circuit for many years; or, hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing his way around the mountains. He visited the remote mining camps, preaching in saloons to rough and tough men who were usually not otherwise looking for a church home. Dyer beat the odds and lived to be 89 years old.
The biography of John Dyer is titled Look for Me in Heaven. The title came from Dyer’s usual farewell to folks on his circuit as he left them to head farther west. He knew he would never again come back that way, and would never again see those people. So, in leaving, Dyer would always say, “Good-bye friends. Look for me in heaven.” He knew they would never meet again on earth, but they would meet in heaven. “Look for me in heaven.” It was a friendly and hopeful farewell, and, it was a way for him to encourage them to remain faithful, so that they would, in fact, see each other in the life to come.
When my father was on his deathbed last Fall, I would stop in often to visit. “I’ll see you later, Dad,” I’d say when leaving. One time near the end, my father replied, “Well, you will see me, but I might not see you… I’ll see you in heaven, though.” For a few years already, he had been looking forward to that upcoming change of worlds. What a day that will be when we move from here to there. As one grows older (I am learning), we do look forward to that great change more and more. There are so many people on the other side that I haven’t seen for a while. I will be looking for them.
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JESUS GETS READY TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO HIS DISCIPLES:
John 16:16-22 — Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices… So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
John 14:1-3 — (Jesus said), “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you, and… I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
PAUL SAYS GOOD-BYE TO THE EPHESIANS:
From Acts 20:22f — (Paul said), “Now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore…, keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers… Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace…” When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.
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Heavenly Father, I ask you not to separate me when I am dead from those who were so dear to me while I lived. I beg that where I am, they may be with me. As I have not been able to see much of them here on earth, let me enjoy their company in heaven forever. I beseech you, God most high, to grant saving faith, and, a resurrection, to these, your children, whom I have loved so much. Amen.
–Bishop Ambrose of Milan (339-397)
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Heaven on My Mind, Toby Mac (2025)
… When this world’s behind me and my days are all through,
You try and find me, I’ll try and find you.
When this world’s behind me and we see it’s all true
You’ll know where to find me, I know that I’ll find you
In Heaven… I’ll come and find you in Heaven.
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