A Place in Heaven

1 Corinthians 3:6-11 + 1 Corinthians 15:43-44
The blinding light forced me to close my eyes. I thought that might be impossible now that I was dead. My race was finished; work completed. Trying to think back to my life of the mortal realm, I felt no regret, even though I knew I regretted many things. I looked for the emotion of regret, that ache of the heart longing to change something, and I found it not. When my eyes adjusted, the sight was magnificent. Bright and vibrant colours, sounds of nature clear and crisp, smells of the outdoors fresh and fulfilling. I took a step and felt something different. Although I knew what it was like to have no aches and pain when I was young, my body still felt more painless. I felt weightless, as though I could never ache simply due to age because I had less weight to waste away my joins and bones. I walked up a vibrant grassy hill. Over the hill I found a figure waiting for me. I didn’t recognize the physical appearance of the body, but I somehow knew him. Joy piled up inside me at the realization, it was my old mentor in the mortal realm. Someone who spent five years in my life, which sounds so short of a time looking back at it now, in another lifetime. I owe him so much; he planted the seed of salvation with his mentorship and rhetorical arguments. He was the reason why I continued his work with others. Of course, here, there is no doubt that it was God that did the growth and inspiration, this man was the instrument of that growth and inspiration.
“How are you?” the man asked. It seemed he was expecting me. But he approached with great excitement. It seemed an odd question, does that question apply here?
            “Fantastic!” I say with a smirk. “So great to see you.” I willingly accept his hug.
            “So proud of what you accomplished,” he said. I guess they do watch over us here.
            “You inspired, God did the growth,” I tell him.
“It’s so great to welcome you here,” he said softly. He looked past my shoulder, it made me look in the same direction. Another person entered their new home. The new kingdom. As much as it means that someone died, it was only joy felt in this immortal realm. More joy came when I recognized this person. It was so odd recognizing people when they had their new bodies. Sown in weakness, raised in power. This person was someone I mentored. 
Full circle.
            “Hey!” I exclaimed. “So good to see you.”
            “I didn’t think I’d see you so soon,” he ran towards the two of us. “So glad to be with both of you again.” Both? Again? He knew my mentor too?
            “You know each other,” I asked.
            “Yeah,” my disciple said. “He gave me the first thought that started opening my mind to God. Then you came along to further along the idea and belief.” Ah, so he planted that seed too, and I watered it. But always the growth is from God. I looked to my mentor and we both smiled. Looking back to my disciple, we all smiled and laughed together, finally back together again, a bigger team than any of us knew.