Encouragement

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Heavenly Seat
©
by

Stephen A. Peterson


Janet Smith, 16 years old, called Darnell Rex, her minister to ask if he would go to Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and pray with her friend. When Pastor Rex arrived, he found Victoria Pierce lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside her bed. Pastor Rex assumed the teenage girl had been informed of his visit.

“I guess you are expecting me,” the Pastor said.

“No, who are you?” she asked.

Pastor Rex told her his name and then said, “There is an empty chair by your bed so I thought you knew I was going to be here.”

“Oh, yeah, the chair,” said the teen. “Say Pastor could please shut that door? Thank you.”

Puzzled Pastor Rex shut the door then sat down again next to Victoria’s bed.

“Pastor I have never told anyone what I am going to tell you. I never even told Janet who is my very best friend. But all of my life I have hated God. I hate God for killing my mother. I hate God making her sick! I hate God for making me sick. I hate God for making my life so miserable. So if you want to leave now Pastor, you can. But thank you for coming by anyhow.”

“Victoria, I can’t even begin to relate to all of the tragedies in your young life. Nor do I have an explanation for them. What I do know is that God loves regardless of your expressions. Let me ask you some questions, if that is alright with you.”

“Sure.”

“Did someone care for you in the absence of your real mother and father? Do you have any friends? Do you and did you have enough to eat for much of your life? Have you received medical care for this time? Did your real mom or dad love you? If you can answer “yes” to any or all of these questions, God was looking out for you. Now every thing has not gone right for you but it was not God’s fault. Humans have a great deal to do with what goes wrong. God does not control every human act otherwise God would be nothing more than manipulator and we humans puppets on a string.”

Victoria’s eyes weld with tears. “Pastor Rex, I’m so scared! I don’t know what to do! I’ve been so evil during much of my life. I just don’t think God would forgive me or help me.”

“God forgives any and everything anyone has done. God accepts you as you are and He will accept you, too! You have to want to do so.”

“I want to,” said the teenage girl. “But I don’t even know how to pray”

“Sure you do! Prayer is nothing more than talking to God. It's just like you are talking to me right now. Ms. Pierce, Victoria, I have an idea. Here is what you can do. Why don’t you think of this chair as being where Jesus is sitting. When you want to pray, just talk to Jesus like you are talking now.”

“Really?” responded Victoria with a smile.

“Yes, really! You can count on that because Jesus has never, ever been known to break a promise He made to those faithful to Him. If you are ready, you can just go ahead and think of this chair as where He is sitting right now,” said the Pastor.

Victoria and Pastor Rex prayed a prayer of Victoria’s acceptance of God, thanksgiving and to forgive her of her sins and to come into her heart. Pastor Rex left that evening returning two days later to a smiling Victoria.

“Pastor Rex when you left the other, I talked to Jesus. He came! He was here! He sat down right there in that chair where you are now. I told Him how sorry I was for hating Him and doubting His existence. I cried and so did He! He stood up and put His hand on my head. When He did that I felt so wonderful! I can’t really describe it!”

Pastor Rex was deeply moved by her experience and encouraged her to keep praying and continue her walk with Jesus.

Late Easter Sunday evening Janet called Pastor Rex to inform him that her best friend, Victoria Pierce, had died that evening.

“Did she die in peace?” he asked.

“Yes, when I left the church after our last service this afternoon, I visited Vicky. She told me I was her best friend on earth. She held my hand then gave me a big hug. I went to the drugstore to buy her this really big Snoopy doll because she likes them and when I got back, I found her dead. But there was something really strange about Vicky’s death, Pastor Rex. I guess, just before she died, she leaned over and rested her head on the chair next to her bed. Pastor Rex I’ve seen a few things in my 16 years of life but what do you make of what Vicky did?”

Pastor Rex wiped a tear from his eye then said, “I hope we can meet the Lord like that.”

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