Between Time and Eternity

  Oh No… This Isn’t Heaven The room is dark. Not dim. Not shadowed. Dark in a way that feels heavy—like the absence of hope itself. You expected light. You expected relief. You expected gates and choirs and reunion. Instead— “Welcome,” a voice echoes. There is no warmth in it. You glance down. You’re still you. No luggage. No phone. No credentials. No polished résumé. No titles trailing behind your name. Just you. “Step right up. No reservation needed. Judgment has already taken place.” Your stomach tightens. You open your mouth to explain. Surely there’s been a mistake. You were responsible. You were decent. You paid your bills. You avoided a scandal. You volunteered occasionally. You believed in something. Didn’t that count? “No bottled water. No coffee mugs. No portfolios. No jewelry. No degrees. No bank statements. No house keys. No business cards. None of it transfers here.” The voice continues, calm, almost amused. “The make and model of your car? Doesn’t matter....

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13-14  Adelaide believed she was a good woman. Not perfect—just good enough. She followed the rules. She paid her taxes on time. She drove the speed limit. She recycled, ate clean, and signed her emails with crisp professionalism. Her house stood tall at the end of a quiet street, windows polished, lawn trimmed, bank account secure. She had built a life that looked responsible. Respectable. Successful. Then two physicians sat across from her in a sterile room that smelled faintly of antiseptic and finality. Six months, they said. Seven, if she were lucky. Make arrangements. Organize paperwork. Prepare. Some sentences split a life in half. That was hers. Adelaide walked through her front door that afterno...