“The Night I Died”

In August of 1986, I dreamt I died and went to Heaven.

I think it was a dream, but I cannot be sure.

In my “dream,” I’m in the temple of the Most High.  It’s an outdoor temple, with lots of stone and columns and green viney plants, and before me is a set of steps leading up to God’s thrown.  In the moment of my awareness, I notice that I'm seated on one of the bottom steps and just gazing up at Jesus.  It's at this point that Jesus proceeds to come down to where I am and, with a touch of sadness, says to me:  "Dave…if only you’d just followed Me, we could have done so much more together.”  In that moment, I realize what a fool I’ve been and just lose it—and I mean lose it.  In my anguish, I cry out to God, as He wraps His Arms around me:  “Give me another chance, Lord!  Oh God, please, just give me another chance!  Please, please, please…give me another chance!”  I can hardly get the words out as I am so overwhelmed with grief over how I’ve wasted my life.

And then I woke up.

Or arose.

Did I die?  In a way, yes.  (And it was a good death!)  For, you see, I had been struggling for so long against God over the direction of my life.  I wanted to be in ministry, and He wanted me to study water biology and civil/environmental engineering.  He heard me, though—just as I heard Him—for He granted me a second chance—OUR second chance...TOGETHER.  And, now, nearly 25 years later, all I want to do is to be where He is, and, most recently, it would seem, He’s been hanging out a lot in third world countries where clean water and sanitation is a scarcity.  Oh that my Lord might do much and just let me tag along with Him!

Peace and blessings,

Bling

PS "What if...?" — Pt. IV is coming up tomorrow.  Lord-willing, of course!