Heavenly Home

 Heavenly Home

By Paul McCann

At an early age Andy was regarded as someone with his head in the clouds who never really clicked in things . His parents had tried to understand their son who often sat in silence , alone under trees looking at the sky .

When Andy tried to explain to his parents that God had spoke to him every thing started to change . His parents were lost in knowing what to do or say and they had thought that their son was suffering from some kind of delusional condition .
By the time Andy left school he was considered by some to be a dreamer abd by others to be a saintly lad who never missed regular church .

Over the years Andy’s parents had brought him to see various councillors who listened to his accounts of speaking to God and how God had answered him.
Andy had a number of jobs in the his local village working for Green Gate Grocery Store and Green Gate Petrol station . Although he worked hard and got on well with people Andy was never really happy with life . There was always a void he couldn’t fill . He had never went out with a girl and didn’t have many male friends . Andy found the emptiness there in his life was accommodated when he prayed to God . When he wasn’t working he spend all his spare time in church talking to God .

Before Andy started working as a male nurse he was told by his Father either to join the church or get a job in one of the local factories . Andy had always tried to please his Father and had tried a number of times to take up a steady job in Green Gates industries but always found God calling him in another area . Andy had never been happy working in Green Gate and after a lot of soul searching and research he decided to get out of the village and take on a full time course in nursing . So he decided to take a year out and complete a nursing degree in a city university .
Andy studied hard and put up with all the traffic noise and pollution . After a month it was easy for Andy to feel at home on the smog filled sidewalks of Gragnet . He had heard what God was trying to say to him. The void was filled because Andy found the middle way in life . He was now able to hold down a regular job as well as give part of his life to God .

Andy returned to Green Gate to his parents with the news of his graduation and also with the security of being appointed as a registered nurse in St Judes Hospital in Gragnet . The pay was good and he was able to get the permanent evening shifts he had asked for which enabled him to spend the morning in prayer before going to work .

Andys first year at St Judes was challenging as many of the patients he had come to know with cancer had died . The big C took both young and old .
Each day Andy remembered them in prayer . It was a daily ritual before starting work for Andy to call into church in the village . He liked a peaceful start to the day and often felt the presence of God with him as he made his long journey from the village to the city . It took two hours on a train that rolled along the tracks over the green mountain meadows towards the steel grey concrete jungle in the city . On the way Andy spent much of the time in meditation and in the stillness he listened to his inner spirit .
Each afternoon when he arrived to the hospital he would walk through the main entrance door of the hospital towards the lifts and look at everyone passing by . There were all kinds of people from different cultures and of many creeds .There were visitors and patients , hospital staff , outside security , shop assistants , firemen , police , students , volunteers . The passing parade of people were big and small , short and tall , young and old and everyone had a story to be told . The hospital itself was like a city within the city .

One morning when Andy got to the lift he normally took to the twelfth floor there was a sign that stated Lift Out Of Order and an arrow pointed to the lift opposite with the notice . Please Use Emergency Lift printed on it .

Andy pressed the up button and the doors opened right away . Inside he pushed the button with number 12 on it and the lift shot up . When the lift stopped and the doors opened Andy walked out found himself standing in a large white room with an empty chair and a desk . On the desk the phone started to ring . Thinking he had got off at the wrong floor Andy turned around to get back into the lift but discovered there was no lift door there .

The phone kept ringing . Andy went and lifted up the receiver and said .
”Hello “
“Hello Andy . This is God . How are you ? “
Andy sat down on the chair and replied .
“God is that really you ?”
And the reply came .
”Its me all right .“

“I’m a little confused God “

Andy said and the reply came ,

“I’m sure you’re wondering what’s going on Andy but before I talk anymore there are a few people who want to say hello . “

”I don’t know that many people God .“
Andy said .
Suddenly a big white door appeared from nowhere and when it opened up all the people who had died from cancer during the year at St Judes came over and stood beside Andy . They all looked a picture of health and there was a peaceful happiness about them .

Andy was overwhelmed with everything that was going on .
Each person thanked Andy for all the help he had provided for them and after a few moments Gods voice returned on the speaker phone .

“Andy I am proud of you and the work you are doing . I have chosen you to do some work for me .”
Andy said .
“Sure thing God . Tell me what you want me to do .“

Then God’s voice replied .

“You are to start a building project .“

“Ok God . So where is this project ?”
Andy said .

“Right here in heaven Andy and also back on earth .“
came the reply and Andy said .

“I’m ready and willing , so when do I start ?”

Gods voice answered

“Right away . You see all the people standing beside you .

Andy looked and nodded his head .

Well they need somewhere to live . Here in heaven there are many mansions but there has been a huge increase in the number of people coming here to live so all the available housing has been spoken for . That’s why I need you to begin the building of new homes .”

“I’m not really that good at hammering nails but I’ll do my best God .”

Said Andy then the reply from God was .

“”I will give you the skills required for the job but the all the materials collected so far ti be used for each dwelling place has been acquired through the good works on earth of each person who is one day going to live there .“

“I get it . So the better homes can be attributed to the amount of good things that the resident here has done on earth .”

Said Andy and God replied.

“I’m going to give you the names of some people who really need to start doing good deeds as their time on earth will soon be over and so far no timber has arrived to start building their home . Without your help Andy these new arrivals could be homeless in heaven .So you’ll need to speak to them when you return .“

“What can I say to help them God .”
Said Andy and God replied .
“I will put the words into your mouth . Once you visit them they will have three opportunities to do good works . If they answer those calls they will achieve a foundation to their home here in heaven . After that they will received other calls in their life to enable their timber and bricks to be delivered here . Then the building to their mansion can begin .“

“Sounds good to me God .”

“Right Andy . time for you to return . I’ll be in touch .“

The people in the room took Andy to a lift door .As it opened they waved and left through a door that appeared . Andy pressed Ground floor and the lift door closed and when it opened up Andy stepped out on level 12 of the hospital .

When he arrived to do his evening shift he was given a list of names on a clipboard his by his supervisor who said .

“ Hello Andy . These are the people you need to attend to .“

Andy ran his eye over the list and saw the names and addressed of various people who he had never heard of . He checked all the admissions and not one of them were on the list . Then he realised that these were the people God wanted him to help .

That evening he rang a few of them from work and explained to them the results of their recent x-rays .Andy had no idea how he knew that information but somehow he had the knowledge of all their current health details .
Andy made appointments to meet the people on the list he had spoken to .
That week Andy went to visit some of their homes and on each occasion was presented with three requests for help . There was always a letter that arrived by courier just before each visit was to take place and the letter of the person to be visited was on the front of the envelope . All Andy had to do was go and knock on the door of that person and let God do the rest .

One morning as Andy arrived for his shift he noticed the lift to level 12 was out of order again and just like before he took the emergency lift .
Andy walked out when the doors of the lift opened and found himself in the middle of a construction site . There was hammering and sawing and trucks bringing in timber and bricks . Painters and builders were busy at work in different homes .

One of the builders approached Andy and said ,
“The boss wants a word with you . “
He handed him a mobile phone and putting it against his ear, God’s voice said

“ All these new homes you see being build are the result of the work you did one earth for me “

“That is really something God .“

“It sure is Andy . The on site foreman will take you on a tour shortly of some of the finished homes . Thank you for everything you have done.“

A man in a white coat approached Andy and took back the mobile phone then asked Andy to go a walk around the streets with him . In every street there were some beautiful homes with all kinds of designs . But there was one home in particular that stood out from all the rest . It was a huge mansion built on a large property . Never before had Andy seen anything like this home .

“Wow look at this place “
Andy said .

“Isn’t is something “
Came the reply and Andy said ..

“I wonder what kind of person owns this .“

The foreman pointed to a name on the front letterbox and Andy saw that it was his.

“Welcome home “
Said the foreman .

By Paul McCann

The End