Minnie Goes to Heaven (40)

(a novel continued)

Minnie took her glass of lemonade to her room and sat in the armchair by the window. The dog Hetta was playing with a golden stick outside.
 “Jesus, I love you” she said. She noticed a man approach Hetta and take the stick from him. The man threw the stick a short distance and the dog ran to fetch it. 
“Jesus.” Minnie said as she ran out to meet him. “Jesus did I ever tell you thank you?...for dying on the cross, I mean?”

“You have, once or twice,” Jesus said.

“Well, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. What you did was so immense. How could you make yourself do such a thing.”

“Wasn’t easy.” Jesus said. “I sweated blood over it.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I would like to do something for you Jesus.”

“Like?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know what. I can tell you I love you a thousand times, but there must be something I can do?”
Hetta was running circles around them with the stick between his teeth.

“There is.” Jesus took the stick from the dog.  He threw it further this time. “You could intercede for all those dear people who haven’t accepted my gift yet. I died on that tree for the whole world. There are thousands, upon thousands who haven’t accepted me as their Saviour and millions who haven’t heard of me.”

“Jesus, I can do that.”

“As you pray listen to my voice. Let me guide you.”

“I can do that,” Minnie gave Jesus a big hug.

That night when she went to bed she thought about her time in heaven. This was so different than life on earth. Worry and darkness and dirt were things of the past. Joy, joy, joy. Minnie fell asleep smiling.

The next morning she prayed at the lake for a long time. She prayed exactly as the Lord directed. Afterwards she decided to walk east. She hadn’t been that way yet. 
When she said good-bye to Hershal, he advised her to take the whistle. “When you blow it, I will come for you.”

“Thank you Hershal.

“Hershal, if I want Lydia to come with me...”