Pick Your Poison 2 (Drugs)

After you shut the door, you realize how late it is. You decide that, even though you are not feeling your best, that you really need to drive home. As you drive off in your car, you start thinking that you forgot something. You did, you realize as you take off in reverse and ram into the tree that sits in Andrea's front lawn. As your head bangs into the dashboard, you realize that what you forgot was your seatbelt. You realize that you are bleeding from the head, and then you black out. But you don't wake up. At least not in this world. You look down at your white garments and up at the shiny light before you and realize that you are dead. You are at the gates of heaven, but you have no idea why you're here. You look up at the shiny light again and realize that God is standing before you. He asks you, "Why should I let you into heaven?" "Because you died for me," you answer. Then the gates part and you are let into the paradise that is the rest of your life. "God," you ask. "Can I see how everyone's coping with this?" He nods his head and waves his hand. You can see everyone that you left down on Earth. You see glimpses of your parents crying, Andrea in jail for that crazy party that she threw, and worst of all, you see a suicide note. You read through it quickly, and it doesn't take you long to figure out that the note has been written by...your girlfriend. Then, the tragic scene is gone. "God," you say, tears now streaming down your horror-stricken face. "Why did I go to that stupid party? Look at all the trouble I caused. Please help her--don't let her kill herself. Please God, only you can stop her. This is all my fault." "Look again," you hear the Lord say. Although you can hardly bear to see what you fear most, you look again. Your new spiritual eyes can see beyond what you have been able to see before, and as you look down at your girlfriend, curled in a ball and crying silently,you see Jesus Himself wrapping His arms around her, comforting her, telling her in a voice that only she could hear how much He loves her, and how much he still has planned for her in this life. It is your new vision that allows you to see the small ray of hope beginning to form within her, and as Jesus continues his constant whispers of love and comfort into her heart, stroking her hair and drying her tears, she gains the strength to get up and grab the suicide note, ripping it to shreds as she falls to her knees in gratide and relief. You hear her heart's prayer rising up to heaven like a song, "Dear God, I'm sorry I doubted you, Please help me through this time of sadness and confusion. And please let him know I will see him again one day. . . " You look up to see God smiling at you as you grasp the realization of what just happened: a life saved and a future hope. You are overwhelmed with gratitude and look up to him to say thank you. Still, looking Him in the eye fills you with shame and dispair. "God, why did you even let me into heaven? I made so many stupid choices, and broke so many of your rules. Why me?" His gentle answer fills you with a warmth and a safety you have never known: "My son has paid the price already for all the things you did. I let you in because I love you, and I forgive you. I never was mad at you. I frogave you even before you went to that party. Years before. Your friends and family aren't mad at you either. They love you, as do I. And I will take care of them. Now come home, my child. I have prepared a party for you. . ." You follow Him into a paradise you could never have even dreamed, and know that everything is truly going to be OK. In the presence of God, your fears melt away as the warmth within you grows to extend to every ounce of your being. Soon all you can feel is peace, love, and an amazing joy that you could never have believed existed before. You are filled with a sense of awe at this amazing God and Father who would love us in spite of all that we have done. And above all, you feel an overwhelming gratitude, beyond what any words in the world you came from could have described, for the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, so that all you had to do to get into this amazing place was believe.