The Awakening

I opened my eyes to peace, stillness and a deafning quiet. Waking up to silence was usual since I was born without the gift of sound. I saw the brilliance of a billion stars. Light was all around me, it was as though it was alive, a burning fire to show me the way. However, I somehow sensed that something was not quite right, I was looking through a moving glass, clear and serene. It wasn't until I moved my arms and felt a coolness hugging my skin that I realized I was under water.

I could feel every beat of my heart as it pumped warm blood through my veins. Thump, thump, thump, thump, every beat sent a shockwave of peace through my body. My lungs were filled with life although I felt no need to inhale. I did not know how I got here but I knew I wanted to stay in this peace, this moment. I did not want to leave.

Eventually I sat up, as I moved, my legs shifted in the most amazing silk sand. It was warm and soft against my skin like a blanket on a cold winters day. I wiggled my toes in the sand feeling the tickle on the top of my foot.

As I felt a cool light breeeze dance against my cheek I wondered where I could be that had beaches so perfect. Deep down in my heart I knew the answer but my concious was not yet ready to accept it.

Then a thought, a realization ripped through my entire being like an explosive volano.

I could hear, everything....

As I breathed in and out the soft sound of air inflating my lungs and escaping through my breathing passages occured to me. I sensed the waves as they gently crashed on the shore never to be again.

Off in the distance the sound of birds singing a song of a thousand lifetimes filled the air. Although I could not see them I knew the name of every bird I heard: BlueJay, nightingale, sparrow, cardinal, dove, so so many doves.

Lastly far off I heard music, low and gentle but steady and rhythmic.

I rose to my feet and slowly started making my way to the shore. Not actually feeling the sand beneath my feet but almost floating forward like I was being called or pulled by an unseen magnet.

Once I reached the shore I observed there to be a large stone cave in front of me. Although the giant stones were beautiful in sight, they didn't compare to the beach that I was standing on. In fact, I knew they stood as a smoke screen to whatever land lay beyond them.

As I stood on the beach the music grew louder, closer and more intense. I began to feel it vibrating through my body. It began at my feet and traveled up my legs, through my torso and ended right at my heart. It was magestic and pure. It sounded like thousands or even millions of beautiful voices singing in perfect harmony. I realized my heart began to beat faster, in anticipation of what was coming, or who.

It was then that my mind began to accept what my heart already knew. I squeezed my eyes tight and drew in a long clear breath. Breathing in reminded me of the mornings I spent in Zambia, my family were missionaries there. I liked to get up first thing in the morning and go outside, the air would be cool and clean. It was not polluted with toxins like at home. That is how the air was here, clean and full of life. It sent an energy, an electric pulse into me everytime I took a breath.

When I finally opened my eyes I was astounded, all around my feet were piles of gold, diamonds, and jewels. They twinkled like fireflies in the night. The most elegant jeweler did not have anything near as perfect and of such high value. Looking into a crown I saw that the gold was so perfec and clear just like the water I just came out of. I saw my reflection, I saw my life before me. Just then tears began to fall, pour rather, from my eyes.

I reached up to my ears to feel for my hearing aids but was astounded when I felt nothing. No man made machine was aiding me in the sound I was hearing. Never again would I need that kind of assistance.

The music was so close, I could hear the perfection of all the instruments now. My heart beat in tune to the music, bump bump, bump bump bump. The singing now drown out all other sounds for miles, there were no people that I could see but the sound was everywhere, It surrounded me, swirled and traveled around my head, through my ears and touched the deeepest parts of my soul.

I thought my heart may beat right out of my chest due to how hard it was beating, the time was coming.

He was near... He was coming.

I fell to my knees knowing that I was not worthy of seeing him, I was not worthy of this place. Suddenly information flooded from my heart and soul and into my mind. There were no questions just answers to every inquisition there ever was.

The tears flooded my face and began to collect in a small pool around me; I feared. I continued to repeat how unworthy I was.

Suddenly a huge light appeared before me, it silenced my very being and I dropped my face to the Earth. I felt a warm, gentle touch; as soft as it was, it was also strong lifting me to my feet.

The light was the past, present and what was yet to come. He gave off a heat that was comforting like a deep fire. I could feel the vibrations come from him and through me.

I heard words in a voice that echoed through the mountains and sounded like a deep thunder or ground shaking earthquake. It said: "well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord." (Mathhew 25:21 KJV).

Suddenly the ground began to shake causing me to fall to my knees. I began casting the crowns, and jewels before him knowing that he deserved them much more than I. I then heard a thunderous roar as the stones of the cave began to crack and crumble. They fell to the sand revealing a large clear glass doorway. I rose to my feet and was pulled closer to the doorway. The glass was full of every color; it like everything else here seemed full of life. I looked into it and could see myself and images of my life.

The singing had been replaced by clapping,it sounded like there could be thousands clapping. However, they were not in harmony like the singing. The doors swung open and I could see so many faces. There was joy painted on each one, a joy like that of a child on Christmas morning. They clapped, wave and patted my back as I passed through. I knew they were those who I had led to this place in my life, I knew there would be more to come thereafter.

I knew I had so much more to see. I knew I had awakened.

I was at home, in glory to stay forevermore.

Afterward:

I was standing hip deep in a field of grain. The color was rich and shone like the sun. It gently waved back and forth being blown by an unseen breeze.

It seemed as though I had been here for a few short hours but my mind told me it must have been years.

My skin prickled revealing goose bumps, my hair stood on end. Something miraculous was about to happen and I knew it. I knew exactly what or who was coming, somehow I could see it in my mind.

I began to laugh loudly and jumped for joy. I looked off in the distance waiting to see and hear what I waiting for. There were mountains far off that painted a blue and purple marvel against the sky.

I saw it first, the grain beginning to part, it must have been miles away but I saw it! Then I heard him, a gentle but young bark of excitement. I began to run as fast as I could toward the sound. My legs quickly parted the grain and it lightly slapped against my hips as I hurriedly past.

I began to laugh and cry tears of joy when I saw my polar bear, white fur began to pop up and disapear below the sea of yellow. It happened again and again.

When I finally reached him, my dog Rocky, he leaped in my arms so hard it almost caused me to topple over. His fur that had previously yellowed from age was now white as a newborn puppy. In fact, he looked as though he couldn't be more than a year or two old. His big labradore head cocked to the side and he began to lick my face.

The joy must have overtaken him because his squeals of pleasure could be heard for miles. Although he could not speak I could hear his heart tell me how much he missed me.

I knew there would be no more pain in his bones, no more bad days, just joy and happiness from here on out.

I lifted him to my shoulder as I began to walk back home.

I said "come on boy, there is a lot to see here."