“My Home Coming”    —and what I can only imagine it might be like for an ordinary person like me…

The hour is coming nearer, the light is getting brighter and clearer, almost blinding… the light is so pure, so I know the time is almost here.

My heart is racing, filled with so many mixed emotions. As I look around my bed, I see the tears and sadness in the eyes of all the people I love so deeply. I pray for strength to keep my tears from flowing down my check. The time has come to say my final goodbye.

The light has finally touched my face, my pain has left my body, my heart is filled with love and warmth. I know there is no turning back.

I see the face of my Lord, Jesus Christ whom I have longed to see. He takes my hand ever so gentle and smiles so loving at me and says, “Do not be afraid, it is time to take you home, where you belong.”

The journey is short and my Lord assures me that His Father’s house has many rooms and His Father is there preparing a room, just for me.

As I walk down the hall to approach the throne my legs grow weak, my body starts to ache, sweat and shake. I do know in my heart that I do not deserve to be here. It’s only because of God’s merciful heart that I am privileged to be standing here. I feel so honored but very humbled to be home.

The hall is so long, and it seems to be taking such a long time before I reach the throne.

My home coming is more than I could have ever imagined. It is so over- whelming for a mortal like me. It is magical and most of all the love, warmth, tears of joy and the peacefulness I am feeling that cannot be put into words.

Now my homecoming is over, I am called to kneel before the throne. It is time for my book of life to be opened and to be judged.

I pray that God would have mercy on a sinner like me. I pray that my pages will not be all filled with excuses, “why not’s” and “that was too hard for me to do”. But somewhere amongst the pages there will be a paragraph where God will acknowledge me as His daughter, a faithful servant, serving one master, has been fruitful in some small way. But most of all I want it to be written, through all God’s years of molding me I did become an instrument of His love.

The Banquet is just about to begin and there is one important thing I must do. It’s to see and hold my mother, once again. So then the feasting can begin…

—- Gail  Eccleston

Photo by Clifton Franks