Welcome to Paradise

Welcome to Paradise

I opened my eyes. It took a moment for me to get my bearings. The last thing I could recall was turning my head to the oncoming traffic. A truck had passed the red light and was barreling straight for us at what must have been at least 80 miles per hour.

My heart skipped a beat and time seemed to slow down. I perceived everything in slow motion like in the movies.The only thought that flashed through my mind was: "This is it, this is how I'm going." Then instinctively I said a silent prayer, just a few words, "God, remember me."

There was the violent force from the impact against the driver's side door where I sat as the truck rammed into my car. I remember my head thrusting sideways as the airbag opened and slammed into my body. Remember my head hitting against something, then seeing only darkness and hearing a loud blaring ring in my ears. Then all the memories of my life, from my childhood, through to my present flashed through my mind in a skip of a heartbeat.

That was it.

My eyes adjusted to the bright light of the mid-day sun. I winced from the brightness as my pupils adjusted. Felt my heart beating. Felt a gentle breeze brushing against my skin. I could hear the happy chirp of birds, the whistle of the leaves overhead as the wind gently blew through them. The laughter of children somewhere in the distance.

I felt the gentle green grass beneath me. I was sitting in a lush field of soft grass sprinkled with an array of beautiful flowers. I looked down at my body. Lifted my hand, moved my fingers. Looked to my feet, wiggled my toes. I was alive. I remember that was the first thought that popped into my mind. "I am alive." I said it out loud. It was my voice.

Then the memory of the car crash came flooding back into my mind. I sat shocked at the memory. Then in a panic looked around for my child, Peter.
A man and a woman were approaching me. They had smiles on their faces. They were dressed as me, in comfortable loss fitting clothes, soft to the touch, vibrant in colors. Their demeanor was so reassuring.

"There you are," the woman said looking down to a pad in her hand.

"Who...who are you?" I asked. "Where am I? Where is my son? Is he okay?" I demanded putting my hands beneath me and lifting to my feet. I was able to do so with considerable ease.

That is when I noticed I no longer had the chronic ache in my elbow. And I was no longer wearing glasses but could see everything perfectly, 20/20 vision, something I hadn't had since I was a child. I felt full of vigor and energy, full of life.

"Jonathan," the man said holding out a hand and grabbing my arm to steady me. This was all so overwhelming. Was this a dream?

"Am I dreaming? Am I in heaven?"

"There's a lot for you to get caught up on," the man said and laughed heartily. "First things first, my name is Robert, this is my wife Sandra. We were expecting you here today," he said and I shook their hands.

Then from out of the trees behind them jumped a tiger. I drew back in fear and gasped. Sandra turned to see the tiger and laughed. And it reached her and began to caress her legs and purr like a kitty.

"There you are Zoe," she laughed and reached down and caressed it. And then it was off, running into the grass tumbling in play, as the young children I had heard in the distance came out of the trees gleefully chasing after it. They acknowledged me with bright smiles and waves of the hands and ran about their play with gleeful laughs.

"What is happening?" I again asked turning to the couple that had welcomed me to this new world I awoke in.

"Jonathan, you've been asleep from a long time. The year is 565 A. A."

"565...A. A.?"

"565 years after Armageddon. The war between God and wicked mankind. You were dead then for over 30 years."

"I've been dead for 595 years?"

"You were resurrected today. We were told we would find you here. Peter is waiting for you."

"Peter, he's alive?" my heart skipped a beat. But he would no longer be a child would he?

"Come, Jonathan," the man waved for me as he turned and I followed him. We began to walk on a worn path in the grass through the trees into another clearing where I could hear the sounds of excitement.

"Beyond the clearing there," Robert said pointing beyond the trees and smiling. "They are waiting for you. Your son, his wife and children. And your mom and dad, and their friends."

"Mom and dad? But they've been dead...."

My head started to spin, what was happening...could this be real? I reached the edge of the trees. I stepped into the sunlight. The clamor subsided, everyone turned from a banquet of food to me.

Tears came to my eyes. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A healthy young man stepped forward with his wife. "Dad," he said smiling. I stepped forward. He came closer.

"Son," I asked looking into his unmistakable blue eyes.  Son!," I said and grabbed hold of him and lifted him off the ground with my strong embrace. He laughed and pointed to his wife. "This is Samantha, my wife. And these are our two children, Alice, and Johnathan." We all greeted each other and hugged and laughed.

Then another couple stepped forward. A young couple. "Wait...mom...dad?" I asked and they laughed cheerfully and came forward and we cried and hugged and laughed.

"How is all of this possible?"

"After we rejoice over your return to life Johnathan. There is time for all. And there is a lot for you to learn. First, eat, drink, dance and be merry. Afterward we will take you to your home we've already built for you. You can change it as you chose later. And don't worry you will have plenty of time...welcome to paradise. Your real life is just beginning."

A short story
By SimpleIdea 2/19/20
For AboveTopSecret


"With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them.  And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”-Revelation 21:3, 4.

"Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."John 5:28, 29.

"The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it."-Psalm 37:29.