A Boy Goes to Heaven

PAULHAVEN SUNDAY SERVICE JULY 1985

Texts: ECCLESIASTES 3: 1 to 12 MARK 4 : 1 to 13

A Boy Goes to Heaven
by the Rev. David Sonmor

Many of the parable that Jesus told began "The Kingdom of Heaven is like this." Many of the Old Testament parables also contained visions of the Heavenly Kingdom. Here, then, is a story then of the way we might imagine to see the Kingdom of Heaven:

Once upon a time there was a young boy who was very, very sick. Early one morning, just as the sun was coming up, his body died because it just could not be made well again. So the little boy woke up in God's Heavenly Kingdom. He was amazed at how bright and beautiful everything was. He thought everything looked quite familiar. Then he remembered that when he had been sleeping in his bed at the hospital he had been dreaming about last summer when he had been at summer camp. What was it called? Of yes! Now he remembered, it was Paulhaven, Camp Paulhaven. He looked around, and the place he was in looked very much like Camp Paulhaven. He saw a group of children playing over by some swings, but he was feeling a bit shy about going over and talking to them as he didn't recognize any of them. Suddenly a very nice looking lady was standing close beside him. As she looked into his eyes she seemed to know what he was thinking because she asked him if he would like to go over and meet those children. He told her he would, but first of all he would like to know where he was. She told him that his body had died and that he was now in the Kingdom of Heaven. "Why?" he asked, "is this place so much like the summer camp I was at last year?" She answered by saying, "Because that was a place where you were very close to the Lord. Do you remember reading the Lord's Word in the Bible, and studying the stories He told to His disciples? Do you remember singing hymns of praise to the Lord, and praying to him for the food you ate? You were dreaming about Camp Paulhaven because were about to enter the Lord's Kingdom and thoughts about the Lord were in your mind."

The boy said, "I remember all that, and I remember all those parables we studied. They were stories about people and places that taught us lessons about how we should act and behave toward other people. They taught that we should worship the Lord by listening to His teachings and doing what is good. I really liked that parable about the lost sheep the best, because sometimes I feel really lost, and that story told me that Jesus cares about me and will always help me no matter where I go or what situations I get myself into. I remember too that one of the parable was a vision in which Ezekiel saw God. But it wasn't really God, just a vision that told him about God always being present with us. Now that I am in God's place, will I get to see him? Where does He live?"

The lady with him said, "See over there to the east, where the light is the brightest. That is the direction In which we go to be closer to the Lord. But each of us see Him in our own particular way, as we understand him to be, and according to our love for Him. Some see him as a shepherd, some as a king, or a teacher, some as a light or as the Word. As our love and understanding increases then our vision of Him increases also. But we have lots of time to move in that direction and here we all enjoy what we are doing, so lets go meet some other children. Here is a little girl who looks kind of worried, as if she has lost something."

"Why are you worried?" the lady asked the little girl, who replied, "I had a good idea in my mind, but now that I need it, I can't seem to find it. "The little boy said, "I know how you feel. It's like when you are in school and have to write a test. You study everything the night before and think you know it all, but one of the questions stumps you. You had the answer, it's somewhere in your head, but you can't seem to find it when you need it. At summer camp we learned that that was like a woman who has lost a silver coin. What she did was sweep her house clean and then she found the coin and rejoiced and shared her happiness with her friends." "That's what I must do," said the little girl. "I have been thinking so much about my things back in the world that I must shake the dust from my thoughts and think about this new world we are in. Now I know what my thought was. I was going to welcome the next newcomer to our beautiful new home here. Would you like to come with me and meet my friends?"

As the two children ran off to meet the other children who lived at the beautiful lakeside home, the Angel followed behind smiling and thinking to herself: "How wonderful when children know about our Lord. They come with heaven in their hearts, eager to love and help one another. I think the boy will become a great teacher, as he explains his lessons so well, and the girl has such a loving spirit that she will do well in whatever she chooses to do. They have brought their many talents of love and understanding with them. Our Lord will be so pleased. We must have a feast and welcome them into the Joy of the Lord."

The end.

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