Heaven’s Library

A good man died and went up to Heaven. As he arrived at the pearly gates, Saint Peter himself greeted him whole-heartedly. After a big “bear hug” and kisses on both cheeks, Peter says, “ Welcome to Heaven! Feel free to walk around and enjoy! Make yourself at home. There are no strangers here. He then hands him a map to his mansion. The man is very excited and amazed at how very beautiful Heaven is. It is far more wonderful than he had ever imagined. The flowers are brilliant colors and the sky is several shades of blue. He walked around the golden streets and was impressed with how everything he sees is perfect. There are people coming and going, laughing and smiling at everyone, even him. They greet him as if they have known him a long time. He strolled through the market place, which had very interesting shops and wares. He noticed a huge marble building in the center of the square. He was mesmerized by its beauty and remarkable architecture.

He was automatically drawn to ascend the marble steps that led him to magnificently carved wooden doors. The carvings are of animals that he is not familiar with, but fascinated him. The doors open automatically as he reached to push past them.
As he entered the large entry, he was in awe of his surroundings. He can’t find words to express how he feels. The lobby is enormous and at its center is a very large wooden desk. It was so tall that he had to stand on “tip toe” to see the little lady, who after seeing him enter was now looking down at him from above. A broad impish smile crossed her face as she announces, “ Welcome to Heaven’s Library!” She gestures with her hands, and says, “Go where ever you desire, look at any of the books. Make yourself at home, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask”.
The man was more joyous than he ever remembers in his life. He just so happens to love libraries. He wonders what kind of books the Father would keep on these shelves. There are so many and it looks as if there are hundreds of rooms filled to the brim with shelves and shelves of books. He hesitated as he decided which direction to take but then confidently strides over to a shelf containing books that are leather bound, with gold lettering. They had caught his eye as the “Son” light seemed to dance off the edges of the gold, just at the right moment. He slowly reached for one of the copies and then caught himself as he realized that the gold lettering was spelling out his name. He looked quickly from left to right to make sure and gave out a big sigh-“YES!” He breathed out loud-”THESE BOOKS ARE ABOUT MY LIFE! There are at least twenty-five, thirty, no there are forty-seven books about my life! I’m forty-seven”, he reminds himself. “Wow! Books about my entire life-right here in Heaven’s Library!”

Without hesitation, he grabbed the first book off the shelf, carefully traced his name with his finger, and shook his head from side to side. “ I can’t believe this!“ He opened it up to the first page and starts to read about his life. “Oh yes!” he replies, “I remember that. Oh and this too… I remember.” He turned page after page and reads story after story. He gathered up several volumes and finds a chair so that he can really study these books, his books! After reading for more than an hour, he realized that while the stories start out like he remembers, they all end differently. “What? These aren’t about my life!“ He double-checks the cover again. Sure enough that is his name on the cover, and the birthplace and day are correct. He continues reading to find that some of the differences are slight while others are not right at all. He desperately rushes through chapter after chapter, volume after volume and it is consistent throughout, and these stories are all ending wrong. “I must tell someone, I need to let someone know!“ Not knowing what to do, he remembered the nice lady at the desk and how she had invited any questions that he might have.

He gathered up the books of his life and carefully carried them to the big desk at the entrance. It takes some effort but he manages to place them on top of the desk. The lady looks down at him once again and asks, “Is everything okay? You seem upset. How may I help you sir?” His words explode in a rush from his mouth as he tries to explain, “These are volumes about my life and they have the wrong endings! All of them! They start off with the correct story but then end totally different from what I remember.”

She did not blink an eye and seems unbothered by his discovery. She patiently listens to his every word and when he is finished she says, “ Yes you are correct, these are the books that were written about you, but before you were born. They are the original plans by your Father. You can see the set has forty-seven volumes.” She stops and looks at him with great compassion and then continues to say, “the life that you lived down on earth is in paperback copies on the shelf below.”
You may be asking yourself at this moment-I wonder how different I have lived my life here on earth compared to what God had planned for me.  I believe we are on this earth to make a difference in our own generation. Humanity needs God. I also believe that God’s plans involve us helping others know Him. With God as the power behind our actions…Humanity has a chance to know Him.

(The above excerpt is from my book…”Escape from the Pit of Despair”…ps. 112-113)

Philippians 4:5-7 “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.