Now that I’m retired I sleep in late most mornings. Our dog, McDuff, gets me up between 7 and 8 AM to eat and then we both go back to bed. I don’t know why but it seems the dreams I have thereafter are more vivid than the ones I have during the night. Recently I had one such dream the details of which I particularly remember. I dreamed that I died in my sleep and awoke in Heaven. I am not sure what prompted this dream but I’m guessing it had something to do with folks at our church. The Pastor was discouraged because one of our members had died and not many other members had gotten to know her. Also another member of our church had been shot in a robbery and was in critical condition. I suppose such things make one think of their own mortality.
I don’t recall any details about what Heaven looked like – no clouds or streets of gold. The first thing I remember was Jesus running to me and giving me a big bear hug, like the kind you get from a close friend or relative you haven’t seen for a long time. This was not the solemn Jesus from all the artwork you see. I’ll never forget the smile on His face. He was definitely happy to see me. Jesus said, “Come on in, we’ve all been waiting for you.” As He swept His arm in a welcoming gesture I saw all of my loved ones who have gone on before me. My brother said, “Missed you, Bro!” My mom said, “I’ve been worried about you.” Dad was by her side and said, “Can’t wait to show you around, son.” There behind them were grandparents, aunts, and uncles, Lynn’s dad and nephew, cousins, and old friends. I even caught a glimpse of a guy in a white Goodwrench racing suit with a mustache and sunglasses giving me a thumbs up. It was a scene not unlike the opening of a football game when the players form two lines and the starters run down between them giving everyone a high (or low) five as they go. It seemed that the surroundings weren’t going to be that important here but it was all going to be about relationships.
Then a strange thing happened. The group all turned as one to look down at an ongoing event on Earth – my funeral. It was not a typical funeral - in a funeral home with a casket. It was a memorial service at our church. I heard the band playing some of my favorite hymns and worship songs and someone commented that the saxophone sounded “heavenly”. I was surprised at some of the folks I saw there, people I didn’t think would take the time out of their busy schedule to come. I was also surprised at people that I thought might come but were absent. (I remembered how I had opined at my retirement ceremony that the next time people would gather to say nice things about me would be at my funeral.) I heard comments like, “He’s in a better place now.” (Boy, if they only knew.) “He had a great sense of humor.” (PC speak for I won’t miss his dumb jokes in the middle of Sunday School.) “Tom had a nickname for everyone but we could never think of one for him.” (She didn’t know about “The Flig.”) They were all trying to comfort Lynn but she said, “I’ll miss him but he always said he was ready to go anytime.” That was true. Lynn and I always talked about the abundant life we had both enjoyed and that Heaven would just be the “icing on the cake.”
I heard someone ask Lynn what she thought she’d do with my ashes. Her response was that she believed she would sprinkle them on the 17th green at Mountain Valley since that’s where I had gotten a hole-in-one. I awoke from my dream with a start. “I’ve never had a hole-in-one,” I thought. I’ve got to get down to the golf course. Today might be the day!
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