One Week To Live

I've been sick the last few days, and the first day I was sick; I slept a lot! Typically when I sleep with fever, I have really odd dreams which I did; but I also had a really beautiful dream. Let me start from the beginning. A few weeks ago in my Thursday morning Bible Study, the following question was posed: What would you do if you knew you only had a week to live? Now me, being the planner that I am, had all sorts of things run through my mind before I could even get to the actual answering of that question. Besides instantly knowing that whatever I did would involve my family, I had no other answer right off hand; because I was too busy thinking the following: Would I be sick? Would I feel like traveling? Should I try to squeeze in a trip to Disney Land for my kids' sakes, although I honestly have no desire to go there? Would my family know I only had one week to live? Would my one week start immediately, or would it start once I reached my destination if I chose to go somewhere? Would I die there? Would I have time to have my pastors come before I died? And the questions go on and on and on.... After contemplating those types of things briefly (ha)....I thought about my favorite place to be on a daily basis which is our home. I love being at home all snuggled up in my bed especially with a babe or two next to me, but again analyzing the question too much....I decided that I wouldn't want to die at home while my children are still so young. My dad died at home, and although I preferred it that way; I was an adult. After he died, my kids never really went into the room that they last saw him alive much. So then I decided to stop over analyzing and just spontaneously answer the question with the first thing that would pop into my head minus all the details and so I did. THE BEACH! I would spend my last week alive at the beach....maybe the first few days would include extended family and friends, and the end of the week would just be the seven of us. But once again I digress into the details of it all. The simple answer is I would go to the beach with my family. I love being at the ocean and everytime we go, I remember why. It is the most peaceful place on earth to me. All seven of us have different interests and things we like, BUT when we are at the ocean; we are all experiencing a piece of heaven on earth. Last summer, when we went to the ocean, there was one day in particular where I sat there with the wind gently blowing and the warm sun shining down while watching my children frolic around; and I thought to myself....I wonder if this is what heaven will be like? Not a worry, not a place to be, not an argument, not a deadline, no complaining, healthy, happy...really happy, loving each other, loving nature, no electronics, kids being kids, no to do lists, building sand castles, daddy burying them in the sand, being close to God! It was true bliss....one of the only times (not including the birth of my babes and marrying NPayne) that I really felt true perfect bliss. I remember thinking to myself....we will come to the ocean as often as we physically and financially can. The ocean is one place that I see my son as happy as he can be. The funny thing about that is the first few times we took him, he cried so hard; because he absolutely hated the sand...now he cries so hard when we leave. In fact this year he cried so much the day we left, that as we drove down the coast line to Louisiana to visit some family, we had to stop the car and let him get in one last time; so he would have some closure with his beloved friend the ocean. It was wonderful and heartbreaking all at the same time....knowing how happy he was and that he would have to wait another 11 or 12 months to get back to that happy place. Water is necessary to survive...humans have to have water to live (not salt water obviously) but water nonetheless. Water is used in baptizing....washing away sin! Jesus gives us Living Water! Now back to my dream....In my dream, I was answering this question by writing it out....just like I am now....but I could picture it all in my head....that day at the beach last summer when I experienced true, perfect bliss....heaven on earth; and I knew that's where I would spend the last week of my life with my family....in true BLISS!