Minnie Goes to Heaven (81)

(a novel continued)

Before Minnie had time to wonder what to say, Pastor Peters called on her to share her story. She went to the microphone and hung onto the sides of the large wooden pulpit to steady her trembling legs.

She looked across the audience. That is what they were, an audience. She recognized that they hadn't come to worship.

She started, “I am not here not to entertain you. If you came here to be entertained, you may be quite disappointed. I came here tonight because I am entirely grateful to the Lord. And my gratitude is not for what you might think. Yes, the Lord spared my life. My husband and children and some of you who know me thought I would probably die. To be truthful I think I did. Death is a wonderful thing.”

She went on for the next twenty minutes about the beauties of heaven and touched on the promise of a new heaven and a new earth after this heaven and this earth pass away. 
Then she did something that very rarely, if ever, happened in that church. She did an altar call. “The only way to receive this eternal life and avoid eternal death is to give your life to Jesus Christ. He is the only Way. If you want to make him the Lord of your life, put up your hand.” Hands all over the church shot up.
 At that point Minnie let Pastor Peter take over. He told the people to confess their sins, and to receive Jesus as their Savior. Then he led them in a prayer of confession and invited them to join a church.

When Minnie sat down, John put his arm around her. “You did good,” he said.

Minnie felt entirely drained. “I’m going to sleep well tonight,” she proclaimed. Contrary to what she thought, that night she took a very long time to fall asleep. She kept going over what God had given her to say and thanked him from the bottom of her heart for the ability to say it.

In the morning, just before she awoke, she dreamed she was back in heaven. She was partying with the people and angels in heaven in the meadow by her cottage. Everyone sang and danced and worshiped the King of Kings. 

“Lord, what now?” John prayed after Minnie shared her dream as they sat together at the breakfast table. They waited. They each heard a similar message. John heard, ‘wait.’ Minnie heard, ‘you’ll see.’