Imagine if we had a days notice before we died . What would you do with the time ?
Waiting rooms .
Walking sticks .
Isn't life strange .
How fragile we are .
We always are in waiting .
We wait for this .
We wait for that .
It's endless .
The emergency section of Loville Hospital was full of people waiting to be seen . Around the waiting area there were both old and young . The walls were lined with prams , walking sticks and wheelchairs . On a table in the centre of the waiting area were old magazines and newspapers .
Suddenly an ambulance arrived at the door and two paramedics jumped out and opened the back . A trolley was brought and their casualty was quickly wheeled in tot eh emergency area .
A doctor immediately came out to assess the situation and asked .
“Can you give me a history of what happened ?”
The first paramedic replied .
“I communicated the situation no less than fifteen minutes ago . You should have been give the report . “
The doctor stood beside the trolley and looked slightly upset and said .
‘I have had no report about this casualty .“
The second paramedic said ,
“We found lying on the road beside the park . The information we got was a hit and run . You’ll need to confirm that with the police .“
“Right then lets get him into IC .”
The doctor said .
As they pushed the trolley through the double door and along the corridor the nurse on duty continued to give reports of the casualty .
“His blood pressure is very high and his pulse weak .“
Suddenly the homeless man went into cardiac arrest and they rushed him into a ward . He began to gasp for a breath before going unconscious .
The doctor started placed the heart starter on and send shock after shock through the mans chest . He looked at the paramedic .
“Do you know his name ?
”No there was no identification on him .“
The nurse added ,
“Doctor I’ve seen him around town here and there . I think he has been sleeping rough for some time .”
“Come on don’t give up on me .“
The doctor said .
Within seconds the casualty had died . There was nothing anyone could do . They had tried to revive him but it was his time to go .
“Sorry Doctor . “
Said the nurse .
“Ok place the body into the spare room and I’ll notify welfare . Arrangements
will have to be made for his burial . Thank you nurse and thanks again lads .”
The doctor said .
The paramedics left and the nurse wheeled the trolley into a quiet room at the end the corridor beside the laundry . That was the room where some of the deceased were place .
When the nurse left the body of the homeless man in the room she closed the door . Suddenly a bright light came through the ceiling and rested beside the trolley . The light took the form of an angel who said .
“John open your eyes .“
The homeless man opened his eyes . The angel held his hand and said
“One day you will leave this earthly place for your heavenly home but that day is not now . Your time to leave is not yet . You still have one more day left .“
“Who are you ?” The homeless man said .
“I am a messenger from the other side John . Sometimes there are people who get a day extra .
‘One more day ?”
Said John .
“Yes that’s right . A day in which they have a mission or a certain job to complete before leaving this life . John you are one of these people .“
Said the angel .
The homeless man looked puzzled and said ,
‘What am I to do in a day ?”
“ Use the time well John .“
The angel replied .
“I’m not yet dead then “
Sid the John .
“That’s right . So go now and seize the day .“
Said the angel .
John left the hospital unseen . He walked along the sidewalk to the railway station and got on the first train that arrived . He took a seat by the window . It was a nice comfortable seat . He looked at the world as if for the very first time . His senses were highly developed as if by a special grace .
He could hear the church bells ring as the train pulled into Allswell Village . John though ,
In the thirty years I have lived never once have I been inside a church .
So he decided that it might be a good time to experience that .
As he stepped off the train no one asked him for a ticket , he walked past the ticket collector .
As he walked towards up the hill to the church building he could hear the birds singing . The sweet songs were so beautiful to hear . He noticed the trees . Their leaves so soft and green and the flowers so fragrant .
The sun rose up and swept a pathway of light before him shone straight up the road to the steps of the church .
John made his way in through the doors and took a back seat just before the service started .
The old church building was full of people . They stood together side by side singing the hymns and praying . Women with feathers in their hats held their heads high . The men in their pin stripe suits and well polished shoes stood in the pews like a well drilled regiment of soldiers ready for inspection . There were only four children among congregation and their parents stood trying hard to keep them still . He felt peaceful during the service .
After the final blessing and the last hymn the congregation split out of the building through a small double door at the front . John sat alone in the pew in his dirty clothes . He looked tired and hungry . As he looked up into their faces the church community refused to make eye contact with him . They turned away as if he wasn’t there . They passed him by .
Poor John . He continued to smile but not one would say hello .
The pious parishioners were much too proud to look into his face . Maybe it was a poverty they didn’t want to see . Maybe it was his hunger or just his basic need for being made to feel welcome . For most of them it was just too hard to reach out and offer help .
As people in the church emptied the building John knelt down and said a simple hello and goodbye .
Then he walked up to a place beside the altar to where some candles sat in holders burning in front of a holy picture . He decided to light one for himself and within moments he left the building .
He walked outside through the doors and back into the day . Members of the church all got into their cars . He walked along the sidewalk as the rain began to fall . The only shelter for him was a phone box where he stood and got out of the wet weather for a while .
When the rain eased off and he made his way into the village .A lazy kind of feeling surrounded the village square with all the market stalls empty . There were no crowds of people looking for bargains . It was Sunday and a day of rest for many . Yes it was a day when people went to church to say their prayers .It was a day when people went for walks through the park . It was a day to observe life as it passed . John stood for a while in a doorway and scratched his head . People in their cosy cars drove past . Probably on their way home to a cooked breakfast . Yes , it was there in the air all right . He could smell it . Bacon and eggs Mmm , he could almost taste it .
He couldn’t stand around too long as he had lots of things to do . He had lots of things to say but no one wanted to listen . It was his last day on earth but he didn’t know .Soon he would be on his way to another place .
He felt no anger or sorrow . Only this feeling of complete love and understanding . He was in complete harmony with world and everyone and everything in it . He decided to take a seat in the park and watch the kids play sport and fly their kites . As John was an orphan he never had a childhood like others did . He never knew the joy of free play time in parks . John had been a loner most of his life . Since he left the homeless refuge John had lived on the streets for about six years . He managed to survive on a small income benefit provided by the Government . With this meagre sum he was able to exist in a world that refuses to make him welcome .
The park bench was bathed in sunlight as John sat down enjoying what he wished he could have experienced as a child which was the friendship and laughter of other children .
He spoke to some of the young children but they just ignored him . He noticed across the road a crowd was gathering outside the local theatre and decided to go and investigate what was going on . When he got there he saw that it was the opening performance of a Fairytale set to music . In all his life John had never seen a show before so he decided it was time to do it . He got into the queue and stood alongside the other people who slowly made their way through the doors into the foyer of the theatre .
Once inside everyone took up their little private positions around the snack bar where they ordered hot coffee and cakes .
John took a seat at the back where no one stood or saw him . He looked at people gathered in their social circles . He overheard them talking about their many achievements . New houses and fancy cars . Trips overseas and some spoke about their high powered jobs . They made these loud noises that were supposed some kind of laughter but the funny thing was none of them looked happy or content .
Suddenly the call came through for the audience to take their seats . One by one they all ushered inside the theatre . John waited and slipped in at the back . No one asked him for a ticket . He was unnoticed as he sat down in a spare seat at the side of the aisle near the orchestra who were tuning up their instruments . Green lights flooded down upon a stage that resembles a forest and the first of the actors walked on stage . The narrator introduced the scene and a further cast of characters entered on stage .
The intermission came and it was more of the same . People stood in the foyer full of self importance and arrogance . Their ability to focus beyond themselves was not possible . I mean in their own eyes no one was better that them . John stood and observed their understanding of life and in a nutshell it was all a plastic existence .Comical if it wasn’t so seriously acted out by those in their chocolate covered role models .
The call came through to resume back into theatre for act two . As everyone finished their chatter John noticed some people leave their half eaten cakes in the bin along with some half drunk coffee cups . When they had returned to their seats John went around and helped himself to their unwanted food and drink . Feeling nourished he returned to his seat . The show was great and he was having a fantastic time .
After the show was over John walked out from the theatre . It was starting to get dark and he thought about getting his head down on a park bench opposite . He stepped off the sidewalk to cross over the road . All of a sudden a car ran up the wrong side of the road being chased by the police . The driver lost control of the car and swerved over and hit John who fell to the ground . He lay there for a moment and saw an angel appear in front of him .
The ambulance arrived and two paramedics jumped out . The first medic checked Johns pulse and immediately started CPR . The other ambulance officer put the heart starter on John . After a few jolts they placed John into the back of the ambulance . On the way they contacted the hospital to inform them of the casualty on the way .
In the back of the ambulance the angel sat beside John holding his hand .
When the ambulance pulled into the emergency John was taken from the ambulance straight into the intensive care ward . After a number of attempts to save him the doctors and nurses gave up and John died .
His body was covered and taken to a room at the back of the hospital near the laundry . When everyone had left the room a light shone down from the ceiling and an angel appeared beside John . The angel softly spoke and said ,
“John it is time . The day has come for you to come with me . Leave this world nothing and take all that eternity has to offer . “
The Harvest of Souls Crossover is a story that is exciting, vigorous, and full of suspense about the fight of good and evil in two realms, the light and dark world. The Howdy Family is determined to defeat the world of darkness, led by the seemingly
Timeless wisdom and advice on the art of living for today’s young and old: The art of thinking, the art of loving, the art of working, the art of leadership, the art of growing old.
A new translation by Sergio E. Serrano of this inspirationa
