Just finished writing this devotion a little while ago and wanted to share it.
*************** How? Near the top of the hill there is a large old oak tree that has been there longer than anyone can imagine. The tree is over 35 feet high and has branches that stretch out over 15 feet in all directions. The east side of it is my side. Not really my side, but that is where I always sit. Part of the trunk on that side has a large notch that just fits my back and the roots there form a place for me to prop up my feet. It is like God just carved out a chair for me on the side of the tree. I like to sit there in the afternoon. The sun is at my back and there is always a little breeze blowing. I can sit and read, think, talk to myself, or take a nap. Believe it or not, I have never seen an ant or any other bug on �my side� of the tree. This was one of those days when all I wanted to do is close my eyes and enjoy the sounds of nature around me. I was determined to just sit and relax. I settled down next to my tree and closed my eyes. I am convinced that there are little creatures up in that tree that throw �sleeping powder� down at me, because I was soon sound asleep. In my dream I was sitting under my tree watching the other trees blow in the wind. I noticed that the wind was getting stronger because the trees were bending closer to the ground. All of a sudden the wind stopped and all the trees stood up straight. It was just like somebody had put a wall in front of the wind. Just as fast as the wind stopped, it started again. The wind was just as strong as before but was now blowing in the opposite direction. I started to stand, but was pushed back into the tree by the wind. I was being held tight in my tree chair. I closed my eyes and felt like things were spinning around. The lunch I just ate was inching its way back up my throat and I was getting scared. I opened my eyes to find that past the edge of the shade of the tree, there was no ground. I leaned forward a little and could see nothing but gray. I was in the air! They don�t have tornados in central Louisiana! I didn�t know what was happening. I closed my eyes again and held my breath. My whole body shook. I didn�t feel like I fell, or went up, or sideways, or was moving, or even like I had stopped. I just felt a shake like I had been put into one of those paint mixing machines. I opened my eyes and let out my breath. I didn�t see the trees that were supposed to be around me. I was still sitting against my tree. The limbs were still stretched out like they had been when I sat down and all the leaves were on them. Something was wrong � there was no shade, no darkness, and no sun. It was just light. I stood up and held out my arms. I turned completely around looking at the ground. There were no shadows. Then I noticed the silence - not a sound anywhere. Where was I? I walked slowly away from the tree looking all around me. For just a moment I thought I saw a city in front of me. I thought I had caught a glimpse of a large clock mounted on a stone column surrounded by water fountains, but it wasn�t there now. I stopped and backed up a little. There it was again, but only for a moment. It wasn�t my imagination. I really saw it. It was gone now. I turned my head slowly to the right and out of the corner of my eye saw the town again. As I turned forward the town disappeared. I felt like screaming! I turned my head to the right again and the town came back. Keeping my head turned to the right, I walked toward the water fountains. I could see a drinking fountain in front of them and I was suddenly very thirsty. As I got within a few feet of the drinking fountain I heard voices. I jerked my head around � silence and nothing! This was a little strange. Slowly I turned my head to the right. Less than two feet from me was the drinking fountain and there were three men standing next to it talking. I could hear them! I stepped forward and carefully reached out to touch the drinking fountain. Water shot up as I pressed the button. I must have really looked funny walking with my head turned sideways, but the guys next to the fountain didn�t seem to be paying any attention to me. The water was wet as it hit the side of my face. I turned my head down to get a drink and everything vanished again. If things like this kept happening, I was either going to go crazy or die of thirst. When I looked to the right again there was only one guy. I walked sideways over to him. There seemed to be something special about keeping my head turned to the right so I didn�t move it. �Excuse me�, I said. �How do you know my name?�, He replied. �What?� �No, Me.� �What�s your name?� �Me.� �Yes � you.� I�m getting confused and this conversation is going nowhere. �Hi You.� Obviously I am never going to get a name out of this guy. Maybe I should try to find out where I am. �Where am I?� �Here.� �I know I�m here.� �Then why did you ask?� �Ask what?� I�m still not getting any answers! �No, ask Me.� �You?� �Why are you talking to yourself?� I think I am starting to understand. Me is his name and he thinks You is my name. He thinks that we (I hope that isn�t somebody else�s name) are in a place called Here. I wonder if he understands what home is? What have I got to loose by asking? �I want to go home.� �You want to go home.� He understands! �Yes! Yes! Yes!� �Not easy�� �Don�t care!� I must be careful that I don�t use somebody�s name. �Listen carefully. Look up and turn around two times. Take two steps backwards and cough twice. Look down and take three steps forward. Stand on right foot and put left hand on right knee. Spit on ground and You go home.� I was scratching my head and looking very confused. �All that?�, I asked. Pointing down he replied, �Any mistakes and You go to There.� �Any mistakes?� �Right. Just one mistake � no second chances. Me repeat directions.� I didn�t say a word while he repeated the instructions. There did not sound like a good place. This was a lot to remember. Maybe if I wrote it down. I reached into my pocket and accidentally turned my head. Everything was gone. He hadn�t finished repeating the instructions. I looked all around, but nobody and nothing was anywhere to be seen! Wait --- which way was I facing? Which way was forward? Which way was backward? Was it three steps backward and two steps forward or two steps backward and three steps forward? What if I make a mistake? This was hopeless! I would never get home! I screamed and my voice seemed to echo back from every direction. I started to sit down, but never reached the ground. There was a noise nearby and I opened my eyes in time to see a squirrel running across the ground not far in front of me. I was back in my spot at the big oak tree. The sun was almost down and the branches made deep, long shadows. The trees outside of the shadow were glowing from the sunset. What a horrible dream I had. I stood up and walked around to the other side of the tree to see the sunset. It was beautiful! I thought about how wonderful God is and how great it will be to be home in Heaven with him one day. I am so glad that His plan for getting us to Heaven is not as complicated as the plan in my dream. Can you imagine having to look down, step backward, cough, � and then you can only make one mistake? --- No second chances! God�s plan to get us home to Heaven is simple. There is no double-talk or secret codes. It is written out for us in the Bible. In John 3:16 we are told �For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.� We don�t have to stand on one foot and cough to go to heaven! All we have to do is believe in God�s son � Jesus � and invite Him into our hearts. That�s how we get home to Heaven! ************ In His Service, Allen R. Cook - Cookie Outpost Chaplain Belton A/G -- Belton, Missouri e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web page: http://www.GodForceMinistries.1colony.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp _______ This mailing list is dedicated to the glory of God. Let the Golden Rule be your daily rule. Offering bucket: http://eBible.org/mpj/partner.htm To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://rangernet.org/subscribe.htm http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
