The Waiting Room

This isn’t right. This was not how it was supposed to happen…

I just died.

I was a great distance away from earth, and yet I was still very much aware of everything that was going on down here. A severe sense of disappointment and sadness came over me as I watched my family and loved ones still on earth. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. I still wanted to be with them. I wasn’t supposed to go so quickly. I can tell you that I was murdered. Probably shot or stabbed, but I can’t remember by whom or why. All I remember is that I put up a fight. The body I left behind probably doesn’t look very good right about now.

As I turn to my left I saw a room (for the sheer lack of a better word)…. It was more of an open piece of land the size of a very normal room. And as I stepped over the wooden threshold into this room I could feel the cool earth beneath my feet. It was like stepping into another zone. Although I still had all of my memories; and I could remember exactly what happened during my time here on earth, there was at this very instant no more emotions. I didn’t feel sad anymore. I didn’t feel disappointment, nor did I feel a longing to go back or see anybody. It’s like the room was void of any connection with earth. I only brought with me my memories of a life lived on earth.

As I stepped forward a man was talking to a bunch of people sitting in what looked like a jury bench, although the wood that it was made of was still very raw. It wasn’t varnished and it still looked very natural…very….earthy…

The man turned around and I recognized him. Jesus! What a moment! Looking back I should have ran! I should have made an entrance or at the very least bowed or something… but He just smiled and walked away. The moment was so unceremonious. No blinding angels singing, no bright light or unbelievably white clothes. Just a man with dark shoulder-length hair and a face that you won't notice at first if you were to meet Him in a crowd. Although once you've seen Him, He would draw you in and captivate every part of you in a way that you can't describe. And as He walked passed I could sense the moment: you’re here now…

That was as much of the contact I had with the Son of Earth’s Creator. Why didn’t I ask Him all those gazillion questions I’ve always had? Why didn’t I just run into His arms? He was so close. So…approachable… but it didn’t matter anymore. None of those questions mattered. Earth’s issues weren’t issues in here. In fact, there were no issues in here.

I walked over to the bench of people and sat down on the cool earth. Lizl was there with me. I turned and spoke to her: “It’s interesting to me how modern they are all dressed. I would have expected more of an old fashioned attire. Almost like an outfit that Noah would wear.” Without it being said, I just knew that these people never made it to earth. I assumed that they were all stillborn babies or victims of abortions.

“Excuse me...” I turned to the people sitting on the benches. One of the ladies, dressed in a very neat maroon outfit was looking at me. I noticed the string of pearls around her neck and then she asked me: “What do you mean with those words: modern and old fashioned?”

It suddenly dawned on me that these people had no concept of earth or what things are like down there. She seemed curiously fascinated by the idea of these different concepts and Lizl and I started to explain to them that on earth people were being classed in different groups on the basis of their social-economic status. That clothing has changed so many times over the years that you could distinguish a timeline by the clothes people wore.

The lady was intrigued! Although all the judgment and classification that went hand-in-hand with being classed on earth was not one of humanity’s best moments, she was drinking up everything we said, as if we spoke about a mystical land far away were dreams could come true. I realized that she (that all of these people sitting here) felt cheated out of life. They were all destined to be on earth too… but something happened…

And although they had the privilege of speaking face-to-face with Jesus from time to time, they still wished that they too – had been here on earth. Even if it was just for a few years…

True to the word a waiting room is nothing more than a place where you wait. Sometimes it’s filled with anxiety, fear or anticipation. But not this room. This room was free from all earthly emotions. It was not a doctor’s waiting room where you sat with sweaty palms, waiting to hear the results of your tests or a chair outside of the Principal’s office where you had to give account of the day’s fight in the lunch room.

Lizl and I went on and told them about Jesus’ time on earth. How He surprised everybody by coming down as a commoner when everybody was expecting a rich King whose mere birth would be announced by huge celebration and a royal decree. We went on to describe His life on earth, how He reached people, changed people and performed miracles.

This room was filled with so much calmness. No sense of a pressing need or deadlines. No hunger, no cold and no need for additional, unnatural light. It was early evening. The sun was about to set. It was the end of another day.

 ….and, like in the movies, the camera zoomed out of the scene and everything was exactly how it was supposed to be….