by Ashley Shea

Created on: June 15, 2008

There will be so many people to meet in heaven. Friends, family members, outstanding people who have inspired us.

For me, there are family members who died too soon - a brother who suffered with brain cancer, a father who died of Alzheimers, a sister-in-law who died completely unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm, and an aunt who died before I was born but who I've been told I resemble.

There are biblical figures, heros/heroines, and other people we all look up to. Personally, I would love to talk with Pope John Paul I. This bishop wasn't a pope for long, but during the time he was pope, he appeared to be a pope of compassion and change. I would love to know what his vision had been and if, as some believe, he had been murdered because of appearing to be "dangerous" for those who liked the status quo.

While there are many people in these two categories who I want to meet in heaven, I think there are others who will likely cross my path my first moments in heaven - people I may not think important or even desire to see.

The way I picture death, I believe that there will be a moment, shortly after I die, in which my life will literally pass before my eyes. I will see the outcomes of both my positive and negative actions.

Some people will be nameless people my actions affected. I may see a guy I cut off in traffic die in a car accident a few miles down the road. I may see a woman get the job of her dreams after I opened a door for her and told her that her dress was beautiful.

Beyond the casual, accidental actions, my more purposeful actions will have had their own effect. I hope I'm given a glimpse of what those actions cause beyond the moment of my death. Maybe I'll see that the support I've given to my niece and nephew will lead them to fulfilling, happy, and abundant lives. But I also may see that the disregard I gave to other nephews causes them to continue to have disconnected families.

As I travel through the moments of my life, I hope to see more positive outcomes to my actions, than negative. There are times in my current life when I think about how I could live my life better. I often remind myself that, while I may not see something positive come of my actions now, there may be a time, in this life or the next, that I will see results. Just like tending a plant, my watering and fertilizing may not be the right mix and may damage the plant. Or, I may provide exactly the right amount of water, fertilizer and light, but results may not be visible above ground for several weeks or even seasons.

I look forward with hope that, when I die, I will see a strong, vibrant, prolific plant on the path of my actions.

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