A Message of Hope

                 

      A Saturday morning it was, birds singing, the smell of coffee and roses fill the air and a smile for everyone that passes by…priceless! Draped in the finest couture to attend an all too important event…yes it was the wedding of the year for me and I was not supposed to be late, but you know how we do it! *wink*

     Though I took no responsibility for doing anything or playing any significant role that day, I had already done all the work that lead to a cascade of events leading to this big day, I played cupid, match maker and my work has blossomed.

     A drive down to the hall and what was supposed to be my glamorous entrance turned into a scene from a horror story. It was not supposed to look like this. Everybody that was invited to the wedding was there but people were dressed in black and not in any wedding outfit including the couple. Instead I saw an open coffin right in front. At that moment, cold chills ran down my spine and life was taken from my legs and I needed to have a sit. I scrambled to an empty seat all the way at the back and just watched the strange happenings.

   I watched as everybody came to pay their respects to the person that was dead, shedding tears and sobbing bitterly. But what I thought was odd was every person who came over to pay their last respect dropped what looked like a gift and walked away.

    I did not feel any remorse, in fact I was getting bored and wondered how important this person was to get so much attention, almost felt jealous of a dead person. I wanted to leave, I thought to myself I came for a wedding and not a funeral. But as I got up to leave, there was a man kneeling by the coffin, crying and muttering some things to himself, words that even those around him could not hear but as far from him as I was, I could hear everything he said in my heart.

    He called out my name and I almost answered out loud. So for a moment, I paused and just listened. “I loved you” he said. “I came from heaven, left my glory, and came down to earth. I did so many wondrous things, left my words for you to know how you could learn of me and know how to reach me. I died for you, took your place in death to show you the highest love anyone could ever show. My hands and feet were pierced for you. My body beaten so you would not have yours broken. You tried but learn of me but you did not love me enough to be fully committed to me. You didn’t love me enough to commit to our relationship. But anyone or anything was strong enough to take your heart and focus away from me. If only your eyes could see the gifts around you that were supposed to be yours but you kept on missing them because you never did things the way I told you to. Now look at my love, you lie wasted in this box never to know what could have been”

     My heart was shed into pieces at every word I heard, I wanted to run away as far as I could but my feet would not let me. I took a look back to the people and they were even in a worse state then before, they had become lifeless, glassy white eyes with shrivelled up skin almost like zombies. All of them pointing to the front wanting me to go and have a look at who was in the coffin and as I took each step, I could feel the piercing of each stare. I finally got to the foot of the coffin and saw who was in it. She was dressed in white, with a face of an angel and a kiss of death on her lips. It was me. But how could this be? I turned to look at everybody and this time they had become angels with sad faces and broken hearts.

   Then I saw the man who was talking and in a strange way I knew him. I had seen him before but did not know him enough to give any detailed information. His hands and feet had these holes in them and there were tears in his eyes. For the first time, I felt hurt and pain. I told him to explain it all to me.

He said to me “my love, my heart, the apple of my eyes, all I ever want is for you to love me back.” “Every time you go against me and continue in it, a part of you dies and is buried, you miss what is supposed to be yours and those are the gifts you see”

“How can I make it right?” I asked. “A simple prayer” he said and “repeat after me”. “Lord Jesus I confess I am a sinner, come into my life. Forgive my sins, wash me clean and make me whole. I confess you as my personal Lord and saviour from now henceforth. Amen”

   After I said that little prayer, I was lighter and happy from within. A look into the coffin and it was empty. “You are alive in me now no more dead.” This time his eyes were brighter than a thousand suns with a breath taking smile and a transformed group of angels singing praises to God. It was a priceless moment for me.

  “Its time to wake up” he said. “What?” I was still trying to understand what I was to wake up from; “the wedding!!!” “You don’t want to be late.” Like a bolt of electricity went through my body and I woke up from sleep with so much force I almost snapped my neck, looked around and saw I had just 30 minutes to get ready for the wedding. For a moment I paused and reflected on what I had just experienced. It was more than a dream and more like a message not just for me but to the whole world. A message of hope, freedom and love.

    I do hope you enjoyed reading. Happy week ahead and let Jesus Christ be the Lord of your life, it is a lot safer. Bless