No one in their right mind will ever call Mrs God sentimental. But she is kind and just. She is one tough cookie and a bit of a wild thing in her day. She's been around the block. She sees nuances and feels the imperfections in a soul like cracks in a mirror. Peter does the intake interview, Esther supervises and generally agrees with him. Sometimes, she takes a special interest in a particular soul and takes over. This soul was one of those cases.
She gathered up the balloons and notes and went to Mary Magdalene, who knows a lot of stuff about stuff, to talk it out. Then the two women went to God.
Yahweh could see his wife and her BFF approaching his office from the window. He was not sure if the balloons made him happy or nervous. The ladies did not look particularly festive. He was tempted to sneak out but knowing those two he would have to face the music eventually anyway. He let them in and being a very wise man, shut up and let them talk.
When the New Soul, naked and shivering, arrived in Heaven and found herself conscious she could smell and feel the women before she opened her eyes. The aroma of fresh baked bread, new babies, clean laundry and... Chanel no. 5? She opened her eyes and was greeted by Esther and Mary.
The two women radiated love and calmness and goodness that cut the girl to the quick. She was stricken by a sense that she was not worthy of such peace. She felt ashamed of herself and she wept. She cried and shook and beat her fists on the ground like a child and the women made no move to comfort her. They sat serenely on a cloud and let the girl finish. As her sobs began to cease and the reality of her situation sunk in, all the things that she had done to herself and the pain she had caused others became solid things raining down and pelting her skin.
Little pebbles fell to the ground at her feet in three piles. Two of the piles were of equal size and one was very small. Esther came closer and crouched by the mounds. She gestured at all three and said "These my dear are your sins. This pile contains all the sins committed against yourself and forgiveness will be hard to find. The small pile is the pains you caused the people who loved you in life, those are already forgiven."
Mary blew on the pile and all but one pebble drifted away. "This is how you hurt them by leaving leaving them. You will carry this stone until you see them again and that pain is gone" She handed the little stone to the girl and she was surprised by its weight. Blinded by remorse at the time, the girl had not considered she would be missed.
Esther stepped forward once more and pointed at the pile that remained. "Each of these represent a time when you hurt my husband or my son. See how it is equal to yours? Every time you hurt yourself, you hurt them. They loved you and made you beautiful and blessed you with children, and friends and family, yet you chose not embrace their blessings and walked on a path outside their light and hid in corners where they could not find you."
The girl was confused and sad and, angry. She yelled at the women "Then why didn`t they help me! Why did it hurt so much, why was I weak, where were they when I needed them the most! Why did I feel all alone!"
Mary put her hand up to Esther and spoke first " Don't get defensive Esther she has a point. Let me take this one. Honey, you went through Hell, but suck it up it was a hell you chose for yourself. Your mettle was tested and you feel you failed but let me tell you something sweetie, all the horrible things you think you did and through all the things you did do, you were LOVED. God kept you whole and alive and Jesus brought love into your life. At every turn people you met adored you, do you know many people would kill to able to do that? How many actually do?"
The girl realized what this Holy woman said was true, she had had so many opportunities to change her path and she had relapsed every time. Tears streaming down her cheeks she looked at the reformed prostitute, the beloved of Jesus, and asked "Why am I here? I made all the wrong choices, I never changed and I gave up! I committed the biggest sin in the end, I abandoned everyone!"
Esther finally reached out and put her arm around the girl. Mary kissed the top of her head. Mrs. God quietly spoke "You are here because you are wanted here. We read the messages from the ones who loved you. You were not evil, you had flaws, you took in so much pain but you gave out so much joy. You ignored Heaven's light yourself but your friendship and love showed it to others. It would not be fair to them if you were not here to greet them when they arrive. There is no other place for you."
Mary stood and reached for the girl's hand. "Come now, you have friends here and they are waiting for you." She followed Mary and Esther and felt her heart leap when she saw her friends. They embraced and sat down in a familiar looking spot to have a beer and wait for everyone else to join them.
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