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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: This Side of Paradise (not about the book) (07/14/11)
I woke up one night in a deep sweat. I had a dream or more like a nightmare. I saw the world in turmoil, struggling to be free of itself. Then I was taken to a place by a figure large and white with flowing gown and outstretched hands. He seemed to glide along the avenues of life and time and space. We passed through centuries of sorrow, centuries of prosperity and centuries of hate and confusion. Then we came to rest on a rugged cliff where one could see the world and its people all at once.

I asked my guide what is this all about and why had he come to show me this place? He said he was an angel of God sent to answer my prayer. Then I remembered that I had asked the Lord to help me understand why life was so difficult, why pain and sorrow seem to run amuck in our time.

The angel continued, “God has given man a free will, if they truly saw Paradise they would not do the things they do, nor lie to the people so they could advance their own agendas, nor would they despair. Then he stretched out his hands over the valley of the worlds below and said, “Each day Jesus sits on this cliff, watching and waiting, praying and believing the people will understand. His brow turns to sweat, his tears to blood as he watches humanity self-destruct.”

Then I responded, “But even us who love the Lord, wonder and stumble and faint, because God sometimes seems to be far away and uncaring.” I wiped a tear from my eyes as I spoke.

The angel put his hand on my shoulder, and then said, “He is not unhappy with you, my daughter. You are unhappy with yourself. You cannot believe the promises he made to you because on this side of paradise the voices of those who would have you self-destruct are many and strong.”

With sadden eyes, I looked at my guide and said, “But if He knows that, why does he allow me to suffer so, sometimes I must admit I would rather die than spend another day alone and frightened.”

He pointed to a spot on the surface below where a light was shining brightly; I asked him what that was because that section of the earth seemed to be split from the rest.
He answered, “That is you on the other side of paradise, where you live in peace, in beauty and love. It is your reward and it will be yours forever.”
Then I asked, “But if the word declares we are to have abundant life now, how is it we must wait?”

The angel began to fly away, as he was gliding, he yelled back at me, “This side of Paradise is veiled, but if you believe you will receive graces from the other side of Paradise.”
Then a strong wind came, and I was swept away when I came to I found myself in my own bed, but the room was not dim, in fact a strong beam of white light encompassed my bed. Perhaps today this side of Paradise will resemble the other side as well.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
diana kay
07/22/11
i like this "pilgrims progress" like tale. well written maybe try and think up an original title to draw people to chose your writing.
Linda Goergen
07/27/11
Interesting account of a dream...I enjoyed the read!