No Reason to Be Scared

by Joe Smith
(USA)

Growing up I've never been the greatest boy a mother could ask for. I lied and cheated and had no regard for what people thought of me or my actions. We were never a spiritual family. I had never gone to church except to be baptized when I was an infant, but this coming week I had to attend Sunday practice for a friend of my mother's. As I was there I felt ashamed as the other kids were asked questions about the bible and I sat there dumbfounded not sure what to say.

After all was said and done and everything was over I hung around a bit and stared at the stained glass windows with the pictures of Jesus and the angels on them. I was overwhelmed by their beauty and that's when I wondered about things like death and where I'll go when I die. I knew that my life was full of sin and that if I were to go right now I'd end up in hell. Panicked, I fell to my knees and prayed, I prayed to whoever might be listing to show me where I would go when my time comes and to show me that I can change. I was praying so hard I began to cry.

I went home and continued about my day. Soon after, I had forgotten about my ordeal and as night drifted in I went to sleep. I had the strangest dream ever that even now, 10 years later, I can recall most of it. Everything was burning, people were dying in the streets and demons and angels were littered across the place picking people up and taking them to there eternal resting place. I stood there awestruck with the destruction and chaos around me when a black winged demon came up after me and that's when the light hit. The demon flinched back in pain as a blinding light engulfed me and I began to ascend the chaos below into the clouds above. I saw a man with arms stretched out and glorious wings on his back ready to embrace me.

That's when I woke up. I never had that dream again or anything similar since that day, but I will never forget how in my dark time of need, an angel had showed me that, in the end, I will be welcomed into the Lord's kingdom.