Homesick
-The summer air is warm and heavy, gently washing upon the red rooftops of the humble southern village, and then trickles down gradually to the porch of one in particular, where the litt,le brown-eyed boy sits like an Indian at his mama’s feet as she mends the holes in the knees of his pants. His dirty hands rest patiently in his lap, his round eyes following the rock of his mama’s chair, back and forth, back and forth - the soothing creek of splintering wood as she rocks forward each time. His mama had taken upon the task of encouraging him to go and play with the other children, as they frolicked about like deer in the upper fields, but he found the meek and wise company of his loving guardian to be much more fulfilling. Being no older than eight years old, his inquisitive mind meet him here, pondering the greater things in life, and asking of his mama for answers she hardly knows herself. The oaks provide a cool shelter over the little porch, and the two talk quietly as the day passes them by.-
“What’s it gonna be like in heaven, mama?”
“Heaven? Why, I don’t know, baby. Never recall seein’ it myself.”
“Well, what happens when we get there?”
“When we get to heaven, we’ll see a great big gate, made outta pearls like the ones on nanny’s necklace, only they’ll be so big and so round, your hand won’t be able to fit around ‘em.”
“Is that where Jesus is, mama?”
“No, baby. Jesus ain’t at the gate of pearls. Jesus is inside heaven.”
“Well, what’s at the gate then? There’s gotta be somebody there, right? Somebody’s gotta make sure the bad guys don’t sneak into heaven right, mama?”
“There ain’t gonna be no bad guys in heaven, baby. St. Peter’s gonna be there, sittin’ on his big chair made outta solid silver. He’ll be sittin’ there with his great big book. They call it the Book of Life, and it’s gonna have your name in it, and my name, and papa’s name. Them names are the souls that get called into heaven, you know. Them names are the saved ones, the ones that get to see Jesus.”
“And I’m gonna get to see Jesus. Right, mama?”
“Yes, baby; you gonna see Jesus all right. You gonna see him, and he’s gonna call you up on his lap to sit a while. You his baby too, you know.”
“But what about the gates, mama? How can I get through them pearly gates?”
“Oh, baby, those gates are gonna swing wide for you. They’s gonna swing so wide, and you’ll go dancin’ through like you never danced before, right into the arms of Jesus.”
“But mama, what am I gonna say to him?”
“Why, what do you think you gonna say to em?”
“I’s gonna tell him that I love him. And I’s gonna thank him for papa and you.”
“And do you know what else is waitin’ for you up there in heaven, baby?”
“What’s that?”
“Think real hard, baby, real hard. What’s your Sunday school teacher tell you’s up there? What are you gonna walk all over when you get there?”
“Streets of gold!”
“That’s right! And Jesus is gonna walk right there by your side all the time, and he’s gonna tell you all the things you never knew before. He’s gonna tell you just how he made you, and how he picked them dark eyes of yours from the rich soil of the earth. And he’s gonna tell you how he made up your name, and tell you how many hairs be on your head. Do you know why he’s gonna tell you all these things?"
“Why’s he gonna?”
“Cuz he loves you, baby. He loves you even more than papa and me. He loves you even more than that there oak tree standin’ tall. He loves you even more than them singin’ birds in the willow out back. He loves you even more than them clouds up there a ways, and more than the grass growin’ green under your feet. That’s why he’s gonna make sure you get up to heaven with him.”
“How long, mama? How long do I gotta wait to go to heaven?”
“Oh, baby, don’t be thinkin’ about heaven so soon. You’s gonna spoil its sweetness that way. You just stick ‘round here for as long as you can, then when he’s ready for you, he’ll take you there, and you’s gonna soar Home to him. And I’ll see you there, baby. I’ll see you there.”
“What’s it gonna be like in heaven, mama?”
“Heaven? Why, I don’t know, baby. Never recall seein’ it myself.”
“Well, what happens when we get there?”
“When we get to heaven, we’ll see a great big gate, made outta pearls like the ones on nanny’s necklace, only they’ll be so big and so round, your hand won’t be able to fit around ‘em.”
“Is that where Jesus is, mama?”
“No, baby. Jesus ain’t at the gate of pearls. Jesus is inside heaven.”
“Well, what’s at the gate then? There’s gotta be somebody there, right? Somebody’s gotta make sure the bad guys don’t sneak into heaven right, mama?”
“There ain’t gonna be no bad guys in heaven, baby. St. Peter’s gonna be there, sittin’ on his big chair made outta solid silver. He’ll be sittin’ there with his great big book. They call it the Book of Life, and it’s gonna have your name in it, and my name, and papa’s name. Them names are the souls that get called into heaven, you know. Them names are the saved ones, the ones that get to see Jesus.”
“And I’m gonna get to see Jesus. Right, mama?”
“Yes, baby; you gonna see Jesus all right. You gonna see him, and he’s gonna call you up on his lap to sit a while. You his baby too, you know.”
“But what about the gates, mama? How can I get through them pearly gates?”
“Oh, baby, those gates are gonna swing wide for you. They’s gonna swing so wide, and you’ll go dancin’ through like you never danced before, right into the arms of Jesus.”
“But mama, what am I gonna say to him?”
“Why, what do you think you gonna say to em?”
“I’s gonna tell him that I love him. And I’s gonna thank him for papa and you.”
“And do you know what else is waitin’ for you up there in heaven, baby?”
“What’s that?”
“Think real hard, baby, real hard. What’s your Sunday school teacher tell you’s up there? What are you gonna walk all over when you get there?”
“Streets of gold!”
“That’s right! And Jesus is gonna walk right there by your side all the time, and he’s gonna tell you all the things you never knew before. He’s gonna tell you just how he made you, and how he picked them dark eyes of yours from the rich soil of the earth. And he’s gonna tell you how he made up your name, and tell you how many hairs be on your head. Do you know why he’s gonna tell you all these things?"
“Why’s he gonna?”
“Cuz he loves you, baby. He loves you even more than papa and me. He loves you even more than that there oak tree standin’ tall. He loves you even more than them singin’ birds in the willow out back. He loves you even more than them clouds up there a ways, and more than the grass growin’ green under your feet. That’s why he’s gonna make sure you get up to heaven with him.”
“How long, mama? How long do I gotta wait to go to heaven?”
“Oh, baby, don’t be thinkin’ about heaven so soon. You’s gonna spoil its sweetness that way. You just stick ‘round here for as long as you can, then when he’s ready for you, he’ll take you there, and you’s gonna soar Home to him. And I’ll see you there, baby. I’ll see you there.”
***
"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."
-Revelation 21:27
-Revelation 21:27
postato da Amanda | 10:17 AM
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