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Their destination wasn’t far off, but the holy kids decided to fly the rest of the way. I saw them landing as I flew to the Crown Hall and set down in the flower garden to gather a bouquet for our meeting.
Ryan and Angela had touched down beside a cool, inviting water well. Angela dipped her hand in and got herself a refreshing drink, and offered one to Ryan, but he told her that the fortress standing before him commanded his full attention.
“This is Crown Hall? It looks like the Parthenon in Athens, Greece! I saw pictures of it in my sixth-grade geography book, and I studied more about it online when I had to write a paper on it. But the Parthenon didn’t have brilliant flowers growing in the garden in front of it,” Ryan pointed, “like this one does!”
Ryan spotted me picking flowers, and we smiled.
A porch with huge columns surrounded this massive structure, rectangular in shape. High above the front pillars, in the triangle section of the building, the words “Crown Hall” had been etched into the marble. Real angels sat there on a ledge, talking with one another. Ryan laughed at this because on earth there were buildings with angels on ledges, too, but they were made of stone or concrete.
Across the front porch of the building were planters where more flowers grew. Green ivy, made healthy by heaven’s pure light, grew up the front wall of Crown Hall.
Each floor of the building had openings like windows, but there was no glass; heaven’s pure air could blow in.
Crown Hall had two massive white wooden doors that could be pushed open and would swing back, closing by themselves. Ryan noticed that there were no handles or locks.
Nodding his head in full approval, he smiled and looked at Angela.
“This is truly the best. No glass, no locks, no darkness, and pure air. My little brother is going to love heaven, and I will tell you why.”
“OK.” Angela leaned against the well, crossed her arms, and patiently listened.
“First of all,” he began explaining with one finger held up, “he got in a lot of trouble when he broke two windows in Dad’s workshop by hitting homeruns in the backyard. And here,” he said, pointing to the windowish openings in Crown Hall, “there is no glass to break.”
“Next”—finger two went up—“he has four nightlights in his bedroom because he’s so scared of the dark. Here,” he said, arms open to the sky, “there is no darkness—only heaven’s pure light.”
“Then”—a third finger was up—“three times last year he lost his house key and had to wait in our tree house until our older brother or I got home with our key to let him in.” Pointing toward the closed door of Crown Hall, he concluded, “No locks on doors here.”
“And finally, Angela,” now folding his arms across his chest, “my brother thinks everything stinks, so I know he will appreciate heaven’s clean air.” To demonstrate, Ryan inhaled so hard that his nostrils stuck together.
Angela couldn’t hold back her laughter. She laughed so hard that Ryan was forced to exhale and join her.
Just then a startling burst of laughter came from inside the foyer of Crown Hall.
Angela took Ryan’s hand and pulled him to her side. Through a window opening they could see into the brightly lit foyer, where a large crowd of holy people talked and laughed.
“Who are all those people,” Ryan asked?
Angela answered, “It could be any of heaven’s holy people and probably a few saints and angels. The saints are often here or at the balcony, and they’re always available to talk unless they’re gone on a mission. Crown Hall is a gathering place for anyone in all of heaven. It’s always open and everyone is welcome.”
Ryan took another deep breath of the perfect air and held it for a moment before letting it out. He gently dropped Angela’s hand and walked halfway up the front steps.
He turned around and looked at Angela. “I feel like it’s my turn in a school spelling bee. If my mom were here right now she would tell me to go wash my face—not that it needs it, but moms are just that way.”
“Well won’t she be relieved when she gets here, to see that your face is permanently clean?” Then the two holy kids laughed.
Knowing the two would part, he gave her one last smile and thanked her for being such a great friend and helper.
She said to him, “See those mountains over there?” She turned halfway and pointed south. “The River Jordan flows along the base of the highest mountain. There’s a nonstop praise-and-worship gathering there. It’s really great. I am going there right now to meet with other holy people, including some who were my family on earth.” She turned back toward him.
Excitedly, Ryan asked, “So will your mom and dad be there?”
“No. They will not be there. But everyone who is there will be singing and worshipping God, and when I leave there I will be cheering you on from the balcony! If you decide you want company on your mission, just call me. And something very important, Ryan, when you are on your mission, we who stand at the balcony watching you can also hear your thoughts. We can join you in a flash if you want company or need any help.”
“I thank God for you, Angela,” he said, waving good-bye. He knew again that love on earth could never compare to that in heaven.
I watched as Ryan saw Angela lift her petite wings and take off in a southerly direction to worship the Creator, and I thought those two would be great friends.