The Long Wait

‘Wake up Summer.  It’s time to get up.’ 

‘Oh Meilon, can I sleep a bit longer?’ she replies.  

‘What did you say?’ 

‘Oooh… Oh… Mum.   Ah… yes, I will get up now.’ 

It isn’t easy to go to school, but that is part of life for a ten year-old. Summer is obedient and prepares for school.  Soon she is dropped off at the school gate. 

‘Bye Mum’, she calls. 

During the day Summer wonders who she should speak to about Jesus being alive.  

‘I think I will start with my best friend’, she says to herself. 

‘Ella, do you know Jesus is alive?’ asks Summer. 

‘Yes, my Mum told me’, she replies. 

Summer is excited.  ‘It’s wonderful isn’t it?’ 

Ella is not sure.   ‘Mmmm, I guess so.’ 

‘Don’t you know what it means?’ asks Summer. 

‘Not really’, replies her friend. 

‘Would you like me to tell you?’ 

‘Okay’, agrees Ella. 

‘After school we can spend time together and you can tell me.’ 

The day wears on, but Summer enjoys the thought of being able to share with her friend after school. 

Waiting for their parents to pick them up, Summer begins to tell her friend the good news. 

‘Ella, Jesus died so we could go to heaven.’ 

‘Oh’, she responds. 

‘Yes.  He died to forgive us our sins, but He came alive again. He wants to take us to heaven.   It is a wonderful place Ella.’ 

Her friend asks, ‘How do you know?’ 

‘Oh I’ve been there’, Summer announces. 

‘What?’ 

Quickly Summer corrects herself.  ‘I mean….. in a dream.’ 

‘Oh I see.’ 

‘Yes, and if we love Jesus and keep His commandments, we can live in heaven.’     

‘It is such a beautiful place.  The gardens have magnificent flowers.   And there are mansions and streets of gold.’ 

Ella is becoming interested. 

‘It sounds great. What else?’ 

‘It has lots and lots of beautiful jewels.   There is a room with walls made of diamonds….’ 

‘Ooooh, I would love that’, exclaims Ella. 

‘Yes, and the angels play harps and sing beautiful songs.’ Summer  enjoys  telling  her  friend  about  heaven,   but then  gives  a warning. 

‘We have to be careful of Lucifer, because he doesn’t want us to go there. He was kicked out of heaven because he wanted to sit on God’s throne.’ 

'Who is Lucifer?’ asks Ella. 

‘He was the highest angel,  but he wanted to have the power of God’s Son.   He is now called Satan.’ 

Her friend now understands.  ‘Oh, I know about him.’ 

‘Hey, there’s my Mum’, says Summer.  ‘I have to go.’

Getting in the car, she calls to her friend. 

‘We’ll talk more tomorrow.’ 

‘Good.  Bye.’  

Later that night before going to sleep, Summer has a request of her mother. ‘Mum, will you pray with me?’ 

‘Pray with you?   Why?’ asks her mother. 

‘It’s good to pray.’ ‘Summer, I haven’t prayed out loud for a long time.’ 

‘It’s okay Mum.  You just talk to God.’ They both kneel. Summer’s mother says a short prayer before tucking her daughter into bed. 

The next morning on the way to school, Summer is asked, ‘Why did you want me to pray with you last night?’ 

‘Meilon and Betil said I should pray.’ 

‘Who?’ asks her mother. 

‘Umm…. Meilon and Betil are angels.’ 

Summer’s mother is concerned.  

‘Angels?  Where did you see angels?’ 

‘Ummm.  Oh I just saw them.’ 

‘Summer’, asks her mother sternly. ‘Answer me.  Where did you see angels?’ 

‘Ummmm….. in a dream.’ 

Summer’s answers are vague as she is unsure how to speak of her experiences. 

‘Oh’, replies her mother. 

At school that day Ella and Summer decide to tell their friend Katie about Jesus and heaven. 

‘Katie, do you know Jesus is alive?’ 

‘What?’ answers Katie.  ‘You don’t believe in Him do you?’ 

‘Yes…..’ 

Summer is a bit shocked at her friend’s reply, and doesn’t know what to say. 

Katie continues. ‘My Dad told me Jesus didn’t exist. And even if He did, He is dead and in a grave.  People don’t come alive after they die.’ 

‘Well Jesus did’, responds Summer indignantly. 

‘I don’t want to hear any more’, says Katie and she walks off. 

Summer and Ella look at each other. 

‘Katie is listening to Satan whispering in her ear’, says Summer to her friend, ‘Don’t worry about it. We can pray for her.’ 

‘Tell me some more about heaven’, asks Ella. 

Summer is happy to talk about heaven.   ‘There is a big tree near the river that has twelve different kinds of fruit on it.’ 

‘Oh really. That would be neat. What kind of fruit?’ 

‘I don’t know’, replies Summer.   ‘I did not see the fruit, but it has its fruit every month.’ 

In a moment the girls hear the bell.   ‘We’ll talk later’, they tell each other. 

After school is over, Katie walks past Summer and Ella and begins to make fun of them. 

‘Ha, you are both crazy.  Wait till I tell my Dad.    He’ll stop you from talking about things that are not true.’ 

‘It is true Katie’, responds Summer.   ‘You just don’t believe because your Dad says so.’ 

‘I know it’s not true for myself’, retorts Katie. 

‘Well, no matter what your Dad says, I still believe’, states Summer. 

‘Me too’, adds Ella. 

That night, as Summer is being tucked into bed, her mother asks, ‘Tell me about your dream, the one with the angels.’ 

‘Alright Mum.   It really isn’t a dream.  I went to heaven and saw them.’ 

‘Summer.  You didn’t go to heaven’, says her mother.  ‘It’s a very long way.’ 

‘Mum, I know you don’t understand, so I will just call it a dream.’ 

‘Alright, but I don’t want you to lie to me’, warns her mother. 

‘No Mum.   I won’t lie.   I will tell you about Meilon and Betil. They are angels who live in beautiful mansions next door to each other.  Caph lives over the road and Josfi a little further down.   Elijah also lives in a mansion and Moses and Enoch, but I don’t know if they are close to each other. They have really soft cushions that you sink right into.  I sat on one with Jeannette.’ 

‘Whose Jeannette?’ asks mother. 

‘Jeannette came with us to the New Jerusalem.  And Kevin.’ 

‘The New Jerusalem is heaven, right?’ 

‘Yes’, says Summer. ‘It is at the other end of the Orion Nebula.’ 

‘Orion that looks like a saucepan?’ 

‘Yes Mum, the middle star of the handle.  It’s really Orion’s sword, but we see it upsidedown.     Mum, heaven is so beautiful.     There are streets of gold and you can see through the gold.    Underneath the streets are twelve foundations of precious jewels.      My favourite is amethyst because it’s purple.   Oma’s favourite is emerald.’ 

‘Oma?  Have you been talking to Oma about this?’ 

‘Yes, she came with us.’  

Realizing her mother doesn’t understand, Summer adds, ‘I mean, she was in my dream.’ 

Continuing the story, Summer says, ‘Mum, Jesus said His Father had a special message for us and every time we went there….. that is,  in the dream…..  we found out a little more… it’s a very long story.’ 

'You know Summer’, says her mother, ‘when I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me and my brother a long story about heaven and lots of other things in the Bible.’ 

‘Really?’ asks Summer. 

‘Yes, we would ask our mother to tell us the long long story.  She used to tell us a bit at a time.  There was always more because it was about what happened in heaven when Lucifer sinned and how sin came to this earth, and Jesus dying for us.   So the story never ended.      We always wanted to hear more.   Uncle Warren and I loved it.’ 

Summer is amazed.  ‘Muuuum!   That’s the same as the story I want to tell you.   That is what I have been learning. Can I tell you my very long story?’ 

‘Yes, it would be good.  I have forgotten a lot of it now.’ 

‘Well’, begins Summer.  ‘Do you know how beautiful heaven is?’ 

‘I can imagine it is very beautiful’, replies her mother. 

‘Oh it is Mum.   Jeannette and I spent time in one of the rose gardens, and we talked about our mothers.   I missed you so much, and I wanted you to be with me to see all the roses.  They are magnificent Mum, really.’ 

‘Oh, I would love that’, says her mother. 

‘But first of all, when you fly out of the Orion nebula, you see in front of you the New Jerusalem…..’ 

Summer tells her mother all she remembers about heaven, at times bringing in experiences that took place later. 

‘…. You know, Meilon gave us a dessert made of manna and it tasted like passionfruit, but for Oma it tasted like mango, and for Jeannette peaches and for Kevin strawberries.  We couldn’t understand how we could all taste our favourite fruits.  Meilon and Betil just smiled.  They didn’t say anything.’ 

Summer and her mother have a wonderful time talking about the glories of heaven. 

‘It’s getting late Summer’, says mother.   ‘You need to go to sleep now. We’ll talk about it some more tomorrow night.’ ‘Alright, and I will tell you about Lucifer and how heaven began to change.’ 

‘Okay dear.  It’s like the long long story I used to hear from my mother. Good night now.’ 

Summer has been counting the days.   

The following night she says, ‘Mum, tonight is the thirty eighth day from the resurrection of Jesus. There is only one more day to go and He will be welcomed to His home in heaven.’ 

‘What do you mean Summer?’ asks her mother.   ‘Jesus rose from the dead two thousand years ago.’ 

‘Oh yes, I know’, she replies, ‘but in heaven’s imagination it was not that long ago.’

Summer’s mother is quite confused. 

‘Heaven’s imagination?   What’s that?’ 

‘Well, it’s hard to explain Mum.    All I know is that Oma, Jeannette, Kevin and I have been able to see it happen and on the fortieth day Jesus will return to be with His Father in heaven.   We are going to watch Him come home.’ 

‘Well Summer, I don’t understand, but if Oma is with you, then I am sure it will be alright. 

‘Okay.’ 

‘Now, what have you got to tell me tonight of your very long story?’ 

‘Oh good.   We will talk about the Seed of the woman.  Do you know who the mother of the Seed is?’ 

‘Oh Summer’, laughs her mother.  ‘You are really testing me now.’  

‘Well, do you know who the Seed is?’  

Mother takes a guess.  ‘Is it Jesus?’ 

‘Yes.  Now you will know His mother’s name?’ 

‘Oh, I do know that’, she responds.   ‘It’s Mary.’ 

‘Did you know Mary is not Jesus’ real mother?’ 

‘No?   Who is His real mother?’ 

Summer explains.  ‘Jesus only has a Father in heaven, but Mary became His mother only for Him to become a human being.’ 

‘Oh dear, this is hard for me.’ 

‘Mum, you can learn’, encourages Summer.

‘Yes, I guess I can learn.  And it is good for me to learn all these things again.   I had forgotten a lot of them.’

Summer continues.  

‘Jesus had 76 ancestors from Adam to His mother. Some of these were Noah, Abraham, David and Enoch.   Did you know Enoch is in heaven right now?    He is there with Elijah who did not die either.’ 

‘And what about Noah, Abraham and David?    Are they there?’ 

‘No’, explains Summer.  ‘David is not there.   He is in his grave waiting for Jesus to come back.  Then he will be resurrected with everyone else who has been faithful to God.  I don’t know about Noah and Abraham. Moses has been resurrected already, so he is in heaven now.   He was the first human being ever to be resurrected.   We met Moses on a planet with beautiful people.’ 

‘Oh.   You met him?’ asks mother. 

‘Well, yes Mum, you know….. in my dream.’ 

‘Who are the beautiful people?’ 

‘They are people who have never sinned’, replies Summer.

‘That’s why they are so beautiful.      We met Moses in the rose garden. That’s where Jeannette and I spent time with the roses and wished you were there.’ 

‘It always amazes me Summer’, says her mother.  ‘You speak as if you have really been to these places.’ 

Summer is quiet.   She looks at her mother and just smiles. The next day at school, Katie is very vocal about what her father said to her about believing in Jesus.   

‘My father said he is going to speak to your father about what you are talking about.’ 

Summer doesn’t know what to say.   She turns to Ella and says, 

‘Come, let’s go into class.’   They leave Katie standing. 

The next evening Summer is very excited. 

‘Mum, tonight is the thirty ninth night.   Tomorrow Jesus returns home. I  am  looking  forward  to  the  wonderful celebration  for  His homecoming.’ 

‘Summer, how do you know what you are going to dream about?’ asks mother in amazement. 

‘It’s not exactly like that. When I come back I will tell you about it.’ 

‘Come back?’ asks mother. ‘You know what I mean – heaven’s imagination.’ 

Summer’s mother does not understand, but she says, ‘Oh yes, alright, you can tell me about it then.’ 

Soon Summer and her mother are concentrating once again on the story……. 

‘Mum, the only way we can go to heaven is to surrender to Jesus.  Then the Spirit – that’s the light of God – can be inside us, and we can keep God’s commandments.   If we don’t have the Spirit inside we can’t keep the commandments  and we  can’t  go  to  heaven.  The Spirit changes us to be like Jesus.   Do you want to be with me in heaven?’ 

‘Yes Summer, I do. 

‘I want you to be with me too.’ 

‘I remember when my mother told me the long long story I wanted to be in heaven too.   I need to hear all this again Summer.  Thank you for sharing it with me.’ 

‘I am glad.   Jesus will be happy with me for sharing it with you.   I will tell Him when I see Him again.’  

‘In your dream?’ asks her mother. 

‘Yes.   I wish you could understand, but at least you want to listen, not like Katie. She doesn’t believe.’ 

‘Katie in your class?’ 

‘Yes. Ella believes and I am telling her the very long story too.’ 

‘That’s good Summer.  It is nice to have friends who believe you.’ 

‘Yes Mum, and it’s wonderful you believe.’ 

Mother smiles. ‘Yes, I do believe.  Sleep well now.’ 

She walks out the door, then turns.    

‘Summer, have good dreams.’ 

‘Yes Mum, I will.’