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What if there was a reality TV show called, "Heaven or Hell"? A show that allowed participants to experience 'virtual reality' of both places? What would it be like? How would it feel? I think it would go something like this:

Slowly, I start to descend. I go downward, farther downward, into the belly of the earth. It grows darker, darker, until total blackness surrounds me, pitch-black darkness. I can’t even see my hand when I place it right in front of my face. 'Scary' has new meaning; fear grips my heart as the darkness literally takes my breath away. My mind cries out, "Oh Lord, I can't breathe", but the words can't come out my mouth. Fear is suffocating me; it's weighing so heavy on my chest. "Wait! I see a flicker! Oh, no, it's a flame..." Then, many more flames appear; this is quickly becoming a scene straight from a horror movie..."Oh God!" My other senses kick in. The smell of rotting flesh overwhelms me. I see men and women running, crawling, trying to escape the licking of the flames. Suddenly, I realize the flames are not consuming them, but tormenting as they whip their bodies repeatedly. Then, among their twitching bodies I see worms, huge gross-looking worms climbing in and out of the people’s mouths, their ears, their noses, all the openings of their flesh... horrifying, sickening ... Above it all, is their horrendous screams, gut-wrenching bellows of despair and pain, like the sounds of dying animals, like…, like…. Oh … the visions of their pain… I can't bear it....It is so overwhelming.... NO HOPE!!! No hope of getting away, no hope of relief, no hope of escape. I cry out, "Oh my God! How long? How must they suffer this? How long 'til you stop this? The agony, the people,... O, God... Oh how they are hurting! HELP! I beg you! HELP! Please God...How long??"

Then…an evil whisperer answers..."This is how it is; this is how they will be FOREVER! There is no way out of here. This is it. This is the end of life as they've known it; this is the beginning and there is no middle and no end-haaahaaahaaa!" ....

"NO! NO GOD...another chance! another chance! ...will be different...will listen ...will, ... will ... another chance?"

“There are no second chances here”, I hear the evil whisperer respond.

Hopelessness engulfs me....never is a long time...Oh God...never? Never?! Indescribable despair and hopelessness..... I call out, "JESUS!" ...

What?! It is getting lighter! I feel relief! I'm being lifted up. Up and up, I go, bypassing earth, I continue to ascend... "Oh Hallelujah I can see!" The stench is leaving my nose! I can breathe! I am going faster, up ....up... like a rocket launched out of hell.

Up ahead I see a bright light, a soft, bright,... a very bright, white light...never before have I considered white to be a pretty color, but this white...well, it is beautiful! Closer to the light are people, lots of people, lots of children, even lots of babies. They are everywhere! Brightness is everywhere, no darkness!

"Oh, Look, grass!" The greenest green I have ever seen! "Trees and flowers,... Oh, the colors! " The colors are sharper, brighter than... "Everything is so ALIVE!" Yes, that's it; they are Alive! It's all so awesome! I'm trying to take it all in, but ... Oh, the feeling of peace that is flooding every pore of my being..it's like... well, nothing I have ever experienced before; it's ...weightless describes it well. There's no weight of the world on me. No worries, no sadness, no concern, no feeling of anything except peace. Wow, it's so light; I feel so light! I don't know what to do with this overwhelming feeling of being wrapped in a cocoon of peace and well-being.

Now, people are coming up to me...calling me by name! I'm beginning to recognize some of these people...others I don't...but how strange they know me! I'm hearing, "Thank you!" One lady is saying to me that I prayed for her, and because of my prayers she was born again..., but I don't know her! Here comes a young man. He's telling me that because of my tithes and offerings he was saved! I don't know him either!

Oh look! There's my mom! Oh how wonderful! How WONDERFUL to see her again. And she looks so young and SO happy. Tears of joy stream down my face as I see face after face that is familiar to me. How good it is to be here! I don't ever want to leave! There is so much JOY in this place....

Oh look there is an even brighter light coming towards me. Someone is encased in the light...Is it an angel? No, it's JESUS! Oh my Savior! I fall to the ground like a dead man. all the strength leaves my body. Every part of my body trembles at His presence. But I am not scared! ...just so consumed by love and compassion that is pouring out of Him towards me.....He is so FULL of nothing but LOVE!

Oh to be that lovely- "I want to be just like You, Jesus!" I keep my position on the ground as all these thoughts flood my mind. I feel as though if I look at Him I'd just melt into nothingness. I don't know if ......

Ooo... His hand is on my shoulder. I hear Him speaking to me, "Get up my child and look at me. You have NOTHING to fear. I am so glad you are here."

Slowly, I rise to my feet, still have not looked into His face. My knees are trembling so; I can barely stand. His hand remains on my shoulder...I lift my eyes to His...Oh, oh, oh,...Every part of my being melts into a thousand pools of liquid sunshine. HE LOVES ME! HE REALLY LOVES ME! Look into His eyes...so Full of love...He is speaking to me, yet He hasn't spoken a word out of His mouth. "I do love you child. I love you so much that I was willing to do whatever it took to save you. So that you could come to me and we could be together forever."

Please don't wake me up if this is a dream....Then, as suddenly as it all began, real-reality again...it was just a simulation... first of Hell then of Heaven. But I have no thoughts of Hell, only of Heaven, of my Savior... Never in my wildest imaginations could I have ever imagined someone loving me as much as Jesus really loves me...Oh, how MUCH He loves me. It is an all-consuming love. It is consuming my soul... Then, the 'reality' of it all sets-in to my thoughts, too, and regret floods my mind as I remember opportunities I was given to help Jesus and chose not too for my own selfish desires. I feel shame; the 'me' so exposed. Like He can see every hidden compartment of my being.

"Oh Jesus, I am so sorry that I didn't take more time to really find out more about You while I was on earth...so much wasted time! And I am so sorry I was so full of fleshy motivation that I wouldn't do as You ask and share You with others and love people the way you love me. I wish I had been different." Then, I realize...

"Praise the Lord! I have a second chance!"

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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