1 Surprise!
Tommy leaned his bicycle against the tall oak tree as he stared in amazement at the sign that read, ‘3 Miles to Heaven’. He had never seen the sign before even though he had passed this way every day while riding home from school. The arrow on the sign pointed down a winding country lane which puzzled him even more than the sign.
“This road wasn’t here yesterday,” he thought as he watched a car driven by an elderly man pass by and proceed down the lane. Almost immediately the car disappeared around a turn. At ten years of age, Tommy didn’t have much resistance for his youthful curiosity and he immediately responded by jumping on his bike and racing after the car. Once around the turn, he noticed there were many bends and turns ahead and to his surprise, the car was nowhere in sight. Rounding the next turn, he began to smile as he gazed at the beautiful green fields and flowers covering the endless rolling hills. Approaching yet another turn, he passed an arrow shaped sign that read “one way.”
““Gee, I wonder what that means” he shouted as he raced around the turn and was confronted by another sign that read “Slow speed – Checkpoint ahead.” Tommy stopped pedaling and coasted as he stared at the long straightway ahead with a gate at the end. There was at least a quarter mile of road between him and the gate and the closer he moved toward the checkpoint, the better he could see someone sitting at a desk by the side of the road. And, there, stopped at the gate, was the car he had been chasing. Pedaling slowly, he passed a large sign with red letters that said “Stop Ahead.” With two hundred feet remaining, he decided to pull off the road and slowly walk his bike toward the checkpoint.Unsure of his right to be there, he decided to just look and listen and wait for an opportunity to ask questions.
“A middle-aged woman sitting at the desk was looking at her computer screen as she spoke with the elderly man who was driving the car. In front of his car was a long red and white arm which prevented him from moving forward. He could see it was the type that moves up and down with the push of a button.
“Good afternoon sir. What brings you here today?”
“I’m on my way to heaven. I died this morning.”
“Yes sir. Thank you for your answer sir. May I have your name?”
“Harvey”
“And how old are you today Harvey?”
“Ninety-three, in excellent health, andI’m proud to say I have outlived all of my friends.”
“Would you say, Harvey, that during your life you were more of a proud person or a humble person?”
“I have always been a very humble person.”
“How about honesty, Harvey?” “Yup! I’ve always told the truth.” “Were you merciful and forgiving?”
“If someone deserved forgiveness, well yeah, then I forgave them. But if they didn’t, then I could not in good conscience forgive them.”
“You mention conscience Harvey; has your conscience ever bothered you?”
“Not at all, I always did the right thing.”
“And the last question Harvey, are you a loving person?”
“Whenever I feel like being a loving person, then I am loving, but when I don’t feel like being a loving person, then I am not. Hey, you can’t love everyone.”
“Well thank you for your answers Harvey. Before I send you to Checkpoint Two, what do you plan on doing with your car? You really can’t bring it to Heaven!”
“Excuse me madam, you don’t understand. See, this car represents who I am. It’s a very expensive car, one which most people could never afford. When people see me in this car, they look up to me. I worked very hard in business during my life and I deserve the best. See this watch, solid gold. When people see this they give me respect. Wherever I go, I get respect. My car and I are both going to Heaven; period!”
“Thank you, Harvey. Have a nice day.”
“As the gate was raised Harvey drove down the lane on his way to Checkpoint Two. As soon as he rounded the turn, and was out of sight, a tremendous pile of stuff appeared across the street from the desk. Tommy looked in amazement as he gazed upon a mountain of cars, boats, planes, jewelry, mansions, money, anything that would be part of the world and all its vanities. Breathless, he looked toward the woman as she smiled and asked, “Who are you young man, and what are you doing here?”
2 Inspiring
Cynthia’s husband pulled his mini-van directly next to the ‘3 Miles to Heaven’ sign and pushed the button to open the side door. Once the handicapped platform began to emerge, Cynthia set the brake on her wheelchair as she was slowly lowered to the ground. They had been married forty-seven years and both were in their late sixties. Cynthia was a very humble person and was never attracted to physical things of value. She rarely wore jewelry and relied on her husband to drive her to and from work. She believed they needed only one car and preferred to give much of what she would have spent on a car to various charities. If she had purchased a car, it would have needed special hand controls because she was unable to use her legs since her skiing accident twenty years earlier. As she rolled her wheelchair onto the road, she turned to watch her husband return the platform to the van and close the door.
Slowly he approached her as he struggled to speak. “This is it Cynthia. This is the moment we never wanted to happen. I…”
Bob lost his voice as tears welled up in his eyes.
“Bob honey, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.
We’ve prayed together for forty seven- years and God has always answered our prayers.”
“Well, he didn’t answer our prayers to cure you of cancer.”
“Yes, I know, but He has His reasons, and His reasons are always for the good of our souls.”Cynthia reached up to hug Bob and he responded with his own hug and a kiss. She returned the kiss, then backed her wheelchair about twenty feet from Bob and slowly waved goodbye as tears streamed down her face. Spinning her chair around, she rolled to the first turn in the road and stopped. Overcome, she desperately needed just one last look at Bob. She turned to see him kneeling next to the van and praying. He didn’t see her, but his prayer gave her the comfort she needed. Turning back, she rounded the first turn and was out of sight
3 Many Questions
Tommy took a deep breath as he anxiously prepared to identify himself and explain his presence on the road to Heaven
“My name is Tommy and, well, you see I was riding home after school and I noticed this road which was never here before. Then a car drove past me so I decided to follow it. The sign said, ‘3 miles to Heaven,’ but I think this is maybe only one mile.”
“Yes, it is Tommy; exactly one mile. There are two more checkpoints. The next is one mile and the last is two more miles.”
“What is this pile of stuff all about?”
“Those items represent all the false Gods people have in their hearts. They can’t get into Heaven unless they worship God alone. Many worship stuff. They must love God with an undivided love.”
“I thought we are supposed to love one another also.”
“Yes, we are and when we do, we love God who created and dwells in others. You listened to me speaking with Harvey and you heard that he didn’t want to leave his car. But he really didn’t have his car. He was just putting his trust in the memory of his car, not in God. This pile of stuff is not real – it is just an illusion. But it represents what so many people have left behind in an effort to change and put their trust in God.”
“Why wasn’t it here when Harvey was here?”
“Because he might have made a decision to leave his car based on what he saw other people had done. It would not have represented a real change of heart. No one can see the pile until they leave something.”
“Why do people worship stuff instead of God?”
“They want people to admire them and love them and they think that stuff will impress others and then they will be loved.But the secret to being loved is to give love. Then others will love you in return and you will love yourself.”
“What will happen to Harvey if he doesn’t give up his car?”
“He won’t be able to get into Heaven. But he still has two more chances.”
“May I follow him and see what he does?”
“If you assure me that you will follow whatever instructions the angel at Checkpoint Two gives you.”
“I will.”
“Go ahead.”
As the gate was raised Tommy jumped on his bicycle and raced to catch Harvey. Rounding the first turn, his mind raced back to last week’s lesson at Sunday school. His teacher had suggested that each student ask God to give them a special way in which to serve Him. It could be to volunteer at a charity, or helping older people with chores, or praying for others. The choice was theirs and next Sunday they could share their experiences with the class.
“Could this be it?” Tommy thought. “Could this be what God has for me to do even though I don’t know what it is? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.”
4 Almost Home
Cynthia rolled around the last turn and stared at the straightway that led to Checkpoint One.
“Wow, it looks like its all downhill, I can just coast there and save my energy.
“As she began her descent, she noticed the woman sitting at the desk.
“Gee, I hope I don’t need any identification, I left it at home,” she said to herself.
A few minutes later, as she gradually applied the brakes to her wheelchair, the woman at the desk greeted her.
“Good morning, and welcome to Checkpoint One.”
“Hello, my name is Cynthia. I died a few hours ago and I’m on my way to Heaven. Am I going in the right direction?”
“Yes, you are Cynthia”
“Do I need any identification?”
“No, you don’t Cynthia, but I do have a few questions.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“How old are you?”
“I turned sixty-eight two months ago.”
“Would you say you are a loving person?”
“I hope so. I certainly do try.”
“How about being merciful and forgiving to others?”
“Uh…yes, I think so.”
“Have you been an honest person during your life?”
“For the most part, although when I was younger I believe there were times when I was not completely honest.”
“Do you have any questions?”
“Well, not really, this is all very new to me.”
“Ok Cynthia, you are cleared to proceed to Checkpoint Two.”
As the gate opened Cynthia turned her wheelchair and began rolling once again. As soon as she rounded the first turn, and was out sight, the immense pile of stuff appeared across the road.
“Too bad she didn’t leave it” the angel whispered to herself.
“She is such a nice person”.
5 Major Decision
Harvey slowed his expensive automobile as he approached Checkpoint Two. Everything seemed the same except for the person at the desk. This time it was a middle-aged man who lowered the gate as Harvey came to a complete stop.
“Good morning Harvey, and welcome to Checkpoint Two.”
“How did you know my name?”
“You’re already in the system. I have you on my screen now.”
“Ok, so what’s next? I’m ready for Heaven.”
“Harvey, I will ask you several questions as they appear on my screen. They are based on your responses at Checkpoint One and your life history.”
“What is the purpose of the questions?”
“To help you get into Heaven.”
“Fire away, I’m ready.”
“Why do you insist on keeping your car, you can’t bring it into Heaven?”
“It’s who I am. It represents my status in society and gives me prestige and self esteem. I’m proud of my achievements.”
“You were asked at Checkpoint One if you were a humble person and you said yes. Now you say you are proud. Which is it?”
“Hey, if you grew up the way I did you’d be the same way.”
“What way?”
“Proud of your accomplishments; my father was always criticizing me and telling me I would never amount to anything. But I founded my own company and made a lot of money. I worked very hard at becoming somebody. Money, cars, and prestige prove that my father was wrong.”
“Do you hold a grudge against your father?
“I don’t hold grudges.”
“Have you forgiven him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“I don’t know because I never thought about it.”
“What did your father think about your success?”
“He died many years ago and I never asked him. We really didn’t talk much.”
“Well Harvey, you’re not alive anymore and there is no one to impress. So why don’t you leave your car here? Surely the people in Heaven don’t care about your wealth or prestige or your car. They only care about you.”
“If I leave my car here, do I go right into Heaven?”
“You still have one more checkpoint to go through and a few more questions. But whatever happens there, you still won’t be allowed to bring your car into Heaven.”
“Ok, Ok, I’ll leave it. I really don’t care about it anymore anyway. Open the gate, I’m ready.” Harvey jumped back in fright as a huge pile of stuff suddenly appeared across the street. He gasped as he saw his car at the very top with a large sign attached which read PRIDE in bold letters.
“You did it Harvey; you gave up your pride. Proceed to Checkpoint Three.” The gate opened and Harvey took off running just as Tommy rounded the turn and coasted to the gate.
“Oh bummer, I wanted to listen to Harvey.”
“Who are you, little boy?”
“I’m Tommy, and I’m supposed to follow the instructions that the angel at Checkpoint Two gives me. But I don’t see any angels.”
“I’m an angel. How may I help you?”
“You’re an angel? You don’t look like an angel.”
“What are angels supposed to look like?”
“You’re supposed to have wings.”
“We don’t have wings. How may I help you?”
“I wanted to see if Harvey left his car; but when I came around the turn, I saw Harvey running to Checkpoint Three. Then I saw the pile of stuff but I didn’t look to see if his car was in it. Now the pile is gone.”
“One moment and I will re-display it for you.”
“Oh wow! Awesome, he left it. What does that sign on top of it mean?”
“It means that in addition to his car, which was his false God, Harvey has also given up his pride.”
“Will he go to Heaven now?”
“It depends on his answers at Checkpoint Three.”
“Is it ok to follow him?”
“Will you follow the instructions of the angel at Checkpoint Three?”
“I will.”
“Go for it”
6 Incorrigible
The angel at Checkpoint One spun her computer around and aimed the camera at a new arrival coming down the road. Pushing her intercom, she yelled;
“Hey, Number Two, get a load of this.
” Laughing in amazement she stared at the teenage boy coming down the road on a Pogo stick.
“What’s that?” Number Two shot back.
“That’s a kid on a Pogo stick.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it; he’s almost here.”
“Boing, Boing, bibbity bop bip, I’m cruisin’ along on my very last trip, boing, boing” the boy sang as he bounced right over the gate and continued on his way to Checkpoint Two. Around the first turn he bounced past Cynthia,
“Wahoo…Keep on wheelin’ Freda, Boing, Boing, Boing.”
“Hey, Number Two, he’s heading your way. He didn’t even stop. He bounced his way right over the gate. He’s a real nut case.”
“I see him; he’s coming around the turn. Stop-Stop- you have to stop and go back to Checkpoint One.”
“No way Jose, I’m on my way to Heaven.”
The boy bounced his Pogo stick around in a big circle and with one super bounce landed right on top of the angel’s desk.
“Boing, Boing, bibbity bop bip, I’m cruisin’ along on my very last trip, Boing, Boing” he continued as he bounced his way toward checkpoint number three.
“Number Three, this is Number Two, the Pogo kid is on his way to you. I couldn’t stop him.”
Approaching the last turn, the Pogo kid passed Tommy and once he rounded the turn, he passed Harvey and, with a smile, yelled
“Get a horse dude, ha ha.”
“Number Three, this is Number One; absolutely send him back. He hasn’t checked in yet. I don’t even know who he is.”
“No problem; he’s almost here, I’ll turn him around” the elderly man replied.
“Hey, where’s Heaven?”
“Don’t worry about it young man. You can’t go anywhere from here but back to Checkpoint One.”
“Why not? – I’m on my way to Heaven, I’m dead.”
“You have to answer some questions to proceed. Go back.”
“Bummer, total bummer!” he moaned as he turned around and started his return.
“What’s your name? I’ll send it to Number One”
“Billy.”
“What was your cause of death?”
“I OD’d”, Billy shouted as he bounced his way back to Checkpoint One.
