The Golden Room

I glanced around my surrroundings and found myself perplexed at what I saw. First of all, I didn't remember what I was last doing and where I was. The only thing I recalled was seeing the healdights of a car coming directly towards me. Before that I was in my office, in a meeting. Then I ran out into the street and that was when I saw the car.

It was probably a dream. Yes, most likely I awoke before the vehicle in my dream hit me. But then wouldn't I know I was awake? This is very odd.

I was standing in a vast hall with walls adorned in gold paint and decorations. As a matter of fact, everything in the room was colored gold. The carpet beneath my feet, the balcony atop which was held up by two large pillars, and many other things were golden.

I stifled a scream by covering my mouth as I saw that people sat in front of me. Their hands were folded across their laps and they all sat up straight. They were all wearing suits and ties, of differnet colors other than gold. I peered down at my clothing and checked to see that I wasn't wearing gold. To my relief, I was still wearing my blue pats, white shoirt, and blue tie.

They all seemed to have their attention on the stage that was in front of the halll. Suddenly, I took a seat as well hoping I would have some idea about what was happening. A man stood at a podium on the stage. He was tall, and was wearing gold as well, but it seemed as if his clothes were radiating in the light. I couldn't see his face in the light.

"I am very glad to see all of you here today," the man began. "For some of you, today willl be the greatest day of your life. For the others, it will be their worst."

Then the man gestured toward his left. Everyone in the room, including myself, turned to see what he was pointing towards. On the left there was a door, which was golden as well. Everoyne looked at it like behind the door there was a million dollars. This must be a dream. But then how could I have had that dream about the car. No, I must have been awake.

"This ceremony has officially begun," the man said.

Everyone turned towards the stage and I followed with them. The man pulled out keys from his pocket and lay them all across the podium. Suddenly he began to call some names out.

"David Johsnon," called the man.

The person who must have been David Johnson got up from his seat and walked up the stairs of the stage towards the man. The man extended a han, shaked the other's, and handed him the key. David Johnson almsot jumped for joy and embraced the man in a long hug.

David Johnson ran over to the door, placed the key into the slot, and turned it. The door swayed ajar and a blinding light filled the room. I turned away from the blazing light. David ran into the door and immediately it slammed shut behind him.

The man then called another person. The same process happened as before with David. The person was given a key and he opened the door as well and it shut itself and locked again.

I still found myself wondering what was behind that door. I hoped that I would find out soon and that it would have a good outcome. I figured that I was here on business. My occupation was that I owned a large corporation. I made big bucks weekly and lived a very lavish life. This was probably one of those peculiar meetings with a bunch of managers that I happen to have once or twice a year. This was the strangest of them all I must say.

"Shane Patterson," the man called.

Suddenly the whole meeting changed. The man on stage called up another person but what happened next was much different. When the person extended his hand to the man, he was rejected.

"I am sorry to say, Mr. Patterson, that you have not made me happy. Your life has not been very giving or kind. You havs done wrong on a regular basis and have doen evil against me. You know what I must do."

What the heck was happening? What I saw next made me feel a little uncomfortable. The person named Patterson got down on his knees and sobbed. I felt my heart beating wondering what was going to happen to this man that he was so upset.

The man lightly pushed him to the side. My eyes bulged out at what happen next. Patterson fell down a trapdoor and screamed in terror as he fell below. I could not believ my eyes or ears. If the man on stage was not pleased with you, you would fall dwon the trapdoor. From the look on Patterson's face, i could tell it was not good to go down the trapdoor. I wondered what was down that trapdoor but I hoped I wouldn't find out.

Many other people were called up and they were all given a key to open the door. Suddenly, I was the only one remaining in the room. That was when the man on stage called my name.

"Peter Hunt."

I gave a large gulp and stood up from my seat. I could not see if the man's face was sober, meraning that I was going down the trapdoor, or excited, meaning that I was recieving a key.

I slowly walked up the stairs and headed towards the man. i kept my head bent down and approached him slowly. My heart raced in anxiety and soon I was standing before the glowing man.

"Peter Hunt," the man said turning towards me. I still could not see his face completely because of the radiating light that surrounded his clothing. "You are the last one left."

"Yes, sir." I answered dumbly. Why did I feel like I needed to address him in such a manner? I never do that.

"I have your fate right here, Peter."

What is he talking about? How is my fate behind either the door or the below the trapdoor?

"You have no idea what is behind that door, Peter, do you?'

I shook my head in response.

"Behind that door to your left is eternity. The home of everlasting joy. The home promised to the faifthful. Below the trapdoor, however, is eternal sorrow. The place promised to the sinners."

"I don't understand," I responded.

Then I saw the man's face. I got down to my knees ad bowed before him. His lips was surrounded in a beard and a mustche. His hair was brown and long and it reached his shoulders.

"Heaven and hell," the man answered, "That is what lies behind the two."

Standing before me was Jesus Christ Himself. Tears erupted from my eyes and I kissed his feet. I wanted to believe this was a dream but I knew it probably wasn't.

"You have sinned terribly," Jesus said to me. "You haven't used your money to help the poor, only your own selfish desires. You know you do not deserve to enter heaven."

The car I had seen that was about to run into me wasn't a dream. I had been hit. I was dead. I was being judged by the Most High. No, this can't be true. I woke up this morning happy and alive. I can't be dead! Yet, I knew it was true.

I broke down in tears and cried out hysterically. "I am so sorry Jesus! I am so sorry for all the evil I have done against you. Please forgive me! I don't want to rot in the dwelling of Satan." I continued on. "I wish I had done good in my life. Please, Jesus, you know I love you! Please spare me!"

Jesus extended his hand towards me and I grabbed it. He pulled me up and smiled at me. I felt relief a the look of his face.

"I shall give you a second chance and when the time comes you can enter the kingdom. That is, if you remain faithful and follow me." Then he kissed my cheek. "I forgive you."

I felt as if my body were spinning through a vortex. My head was spinning out of control and my breathing wasn't normal. The next thing I heard was the voice of a paramedic saying, "Pick him up."

I felt my body move as I opened my eyes. I looked around and saw that my body was sprawled across a stretcher. I let out a cough and one of the men who was lifting the stretcher turned toward me and grinned.

"He's alive," the paramedic answered. "He's alive."

I turned my head and saw my co-workers looking at each other in relief. Many other people were gazing down at me in pure joy that i was alive. The man that hit me with his car ran up to the side of my stretcher.

"I am so sorry," the man said. "I didn't see you. Please forgive me."

I smiled at him and simply said, "It was an accident. No worries, man."

Jesus had given me a second chance to live my life, I wasn't going to start by holding a grudge against the guy. he seemed shocked at my words but grinned back at me as well. He watched as the paramedics raised the stretcher into the back of the ambluance vehicle.

Then the ambulance vehicle raced to the hospital as I bumped around in the back. As I looked out of my window at the beautiful world that God created and the people of this world that Jesus died for, I thought about the ways I could live a better life and what I would do with my life after I recovered from the hospital.