I dreamed last night that I had died. It was a rather odd dream, not frightening at all. I was a dignitary. A VIP. I went to a train station. It was an old fashioned train station and there were many others there who had died. Each and every one of them was a dignitary. All VIPs. Sitting next to the platform was a train. The old steam engine type, with intermittent clouds of steam billowing forth from around its wheels. The train station was very crowded as many friends and relatives had come to say their final good-byes to us VIPs.

After a while, we heard the conductor bark "All Aboard" and the VIPs began to board the train. I boarded along with the others. When everyone was seated, the train began to pull away from the station. Slowly at first, but gaining speed as it went. My seat faced the rear and from my vantage point, I could see the crowd on the platform. Many were waving, some were wiping tears from their eyes. Some said "there he goes." And some "there she goes." And then some said "they are gone now." But we weren't really gone. We were just leaving their sight. I found it difficult to understand why there was such sadness. Hadn't each of us spent our lives preparing for this moment? Some had prepared for a very long time, some a short time. For some it was a only a few hours. Some prepared only in the womb. Some had prepared many years. But we had all prepared. We all were ready. We each had a ticket for this train. We belonged here.

The train rounded a bend, and as it did so I lost sight of the crowd at the station, so I changed seats and was now facing forward. As soon as I was in my new seat, I could see our destination station, and I was awestruck. The station was bright and gleaming. It was made of gold! There was a crowd waiting to welcome us. It was much, much larger than the crowd that had seen us off at the departing station. This crowd was enormous. They were clapping and cheering. Shouting "HERE THEY COME! - HERE THEY COME!" What a celebration! What a welcome reception!

As the train drew nearer the station, I began to recognize some of the crowd. My mother was there, looking as good as I had ever seen her. My brother was also there. Suddenly I realized that everyone I had ever known and loved, those who had taken the train before me, were now here to welcome me. And they were perfect. And so it was with all of the other passengers. Each had a welcoming committee of prior departed loved ones. In addition there were hoards of heavenly hosts there to welcome us. There were cherubim and seraphs, some flying and saying "holy, holy, holy." Then, as the train pulled into the station and stopped, the crowd parted and I saw Him, seated upon His throne. The King! The King Himself had come to welcome us! To welcome me! Unbelievable! Who am I to deserve such a welcome? Who am I that He would even notice me? Who am I that He would know my name? He must be here to welcome someone else, I thought. Then, He looked right at me, His face radiant with His glory and said "Welcome, I have been expecting you. You are home." What a glorious train ride.

June 1998

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