When I was a little girl, our next door neighbor was a widow and a lonely one at that. We lived in a dry county, one that did not sell alcohol, but this lady managed to find an honest-to-goodness bootlegger who kept her in supply. She was a well-to-do lady, and her home was filled with antiques. She was busy in society - a giver in the community - but she was empty inside. This lady was my friend. I was a little girl and she an old lady, but I played in her yard while she gardened. I helped weed her flower beds and haul baskets of leaves to the curb. I swung in her trees and kept the conversations going.
One of the wonderful things about going next door was that she had a mudroom filled with commercial gumball machines, and she kept piles of pennies all around so that we kids could help ourselves to the gumballs. To this day, I have a special fondness for gumballs. I would almost rather have that than any other candy store treat. There was every flavor imaginable! It was so hard to decide between the grape or the green apple, the cherry or the pineapple! Every fruity flavor possible! ...and then there was the cinnamon, a personal favorite, and the mint. She had it all.
But there was something in my heart that kept me worried about my older friend. Besides the fact that she was inebriated nearly all the time, something else just stayed in my mind on behalf of my friend. As an eight year old girl, I recognized that she was not in relationship with God, and it disturbed me because I loved her so much and couldn't bear the thought that her life may not take her to Heaven. One day, she saw my little face fill with pain, and she asked me what was wrong. I told her, "I just don't think you are going to Heaven." She laughed and said, "Of course I am! I give a lot of money to the Baptist choir!" She was serious. I tried in my own childlike way to tell her that this was not the way of salvation. You had to know Jesus, not just know about Jesus. I think that I planted seeds in her heart that day. She became quiet as we worked, but we didn't talk about it any more. We moved a few years later, and she died some time after that. I'm not sure where her heart was, but I look back on that moment, and I'm glad that it happened. My mother was always talking to her and praying for her, but she heard from a child who loved her, as well.
My father used to say, "Good people go to Hell every day." It's true. So many people are convinced that being good is good enough. People have the misconception that they can get to Heaven simply by following the teachings of Jesus. It's not quite enough. You must follow Jesus. It all boils down to relationship. Do you know Jesus? Have you talked with Him lately? Have you fed your Spirit with His Word? In order to have a good friend, you have to spend quality time with that person. You really can't meet someone once or twice and then walk around telling everyone that said person is your best friend. Relationships take time and commitment. Think of Jesus in such terms.
Spiritually speaking, there are many choices before us. You can follow a multitude of pathways to search for your soul's enlightenment. It's like a child with a penny, facing 20 gumball machines! The choices are immense, but spiritually speaking, only one choice is correct. You must choose to follow Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one can get to God unless they enter through personal relationship. (ref. John 14:6) Don't spend your life wondering about your eternity! You can be secure in Christ. Salvation is free...there are piles of "pennies" for your use! You just have to reach out and receive the freedom that is found in Jesus.
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