afflictions eclipsed by glory

Words that wrap around inside my head.  I try hard to grasp at the meaning, tuck them away, but then there they are again:
"afflictions eclipsed by glory"
Words from the David Crowder Band song "How He Loves us". 

What does it mean?  Afflictions - all the junk, the pain, the pettiness, all that hurts and needs redemption.  Eclipsed - overtaken, not erased, but shadowed over, overshadowed.  Glory.  That one's tough.  What is Glory?  Light, God's brightness that shines out as the result of His perfection. 

So our pain, overshadowed by His Glory, because He loves us.  God doesn't always take away that which we ask Him to take, but He will eclipse our pain with His glory.  It all has a purpose.  Even the pain, maybe especially the pain. 

A pastor at church lost a son.  Just 7 months growing in the womb and their longed for son born and died.   They meet a couple in the doctor's office, stayed in touch, grew close, mentored a brother, said brother is called to go to the Nations, the middle east of all places!  He obeyed the call and moved to a country in the middle east to tell people about Jesus, who loves them.  A God who promises to eclipse their afflictions with His Glory.  

If their son had not headed to Heaven at that time, they would not have met that couple, would not have mentored that young man, and he would not now be living in a Muslim country sharing the Gospel.  God used the affliction and brought a glory that they could not even imagine. 

It all comes to good. 

We talk about Heaven alot in our home.  The boys have lots of questions, imaginings, anticipation.  Yes, they anticipate going to Heaven.  Yosef can't wait to pet a lion and watch him eat grass (did you know the Bible says the lion will eat grass like the cow?), Ethan hopes that you can travel instantly from place to place (beam me over, Scotty), Tom looks forward to ears that actually work!  Seth wants to learn all of the card tricks in the world.  Bis wants to meet his first Dad. 

What do you want to do in Heaven?