The Door

It was “one of those nights” where my brain was wide awake at 1:40 AM. The dogs were asleep, curled sweetly next to me, blissfully unaware of the churning thoughts in my head. After a feeble attempt to readjust my position and fall back asleep, I decided to focus on others.

I started with God…what I knew about His character and His love. The thoughts became more focused as the moments ticked by.

The tension began to ebb from my body, my breathing regulated, and I felt relaxed as if I were almost floating. What a relief from the turbulence of the last hour! As I continued to dwell on the essence of God, the entire scene changed. It was no longer dark, like my bedroom.

There was warm, welcoming light illuminating a beautiful large stone archway. It was carefully crafted, each stone placed in a way that complemented the others. There was a door, but it was open and not visible. One could sense it was there, just out of sight.

I was beckoned to step closer. There was no voice, just the sure knowledge I was to move forward.

Upon approaching the archway, I was stunned by what I saw beyond. I realized this was the gateway to eternity. The step directly beneath the arch was not permitted to be stepped on by me. I instinctively knew that if my foot touched it, my physical self would cease to exist. I suppose that is what we call “death”. There was no fear, no intimidation, just the awareness that my boundary was slightly outside for now.

Needless to say, I stayed back, captivated and awestruck at what stretched before me.

The light beyond the door was brilliant beyond anything I had ever seen. Colors of gold, white, amber, orange and yellow were indescribably beautiful. There is nothing on earth that compares with the intensity within these glowing colors. The uniqueness of the shades themselves vouched that this was no ordinary dream.

And the light was more than simple illumination. It was truly alive – more accurately it was Life. It stretched as far as the eye could see – never fading – always staying perfectly powerful, shimmering, pulsing and causing abject wonder in my heart and soul.

I do not know how long I stood there staring, filled with gratitude and praise for what I had been privileged to witness. If I could have stood there forever, it would not be long enough.

The Door. I know I have encountered something, and I will never be the same. The Door. It was open for me! Jesus calls Himself the Door and the Light. This morning, I saw both.