A little piece of Heaven we have here on Earth is puppies. Most people love the little creatures. One of my favorite games that involve puppies requires one other person. We would stand on opposite sides of the room and call out to the puppy, standing in the middle. We then would call the puppy's name frantically, hoping that it would run to us. Whoever the puppy ran to was the winner and got to keep her for the time being.
This game is a playful one, but when you have more at stake, it can also be one of the most serious games you will ever play. Throughout our whole lives, we are inside the concept of this game. However, instead of a puppy, it is us. The people on the ends? They are our Lord and Satan.
Like the puppy, we have a free will to decide what side we go to. Our fate is not decided before we turn. We look at our options, choose the one we think is best, then see the results.
This analogy came to mind while sitting in a sea of folding chairs in my church. During a discussion about what happens when we die, a girl raises her hand and asks, "If God loves us so much, then how does he have the audacity to send some of us to Hell?".
The question seemed rather complex, but it was one that has come to my head. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I realized that there was more to this answer than "because we were a bad Catholic."
It's not that he wants to send us to either Heaven or Hell but rather we chose to go to Heaven or Hell. Both Satan and the Lord want us to be on their side for eternity. It is up to us to decide who gets to keep us.
Obviously, we don't wake up one morning and say, "I want to go to Hell." Several actions could lead us to go there. We usually think that we want to go to Heaven and spend the rest of eternity with the Lord. The steps to this Paradise may be harder, but it will be worth it in the end. It is also an active reminder to do things in the way of the Lord.
The Lord gifted us with free will. We get to choose all the things we do in life. With our free will comes consequences. Whether they are good or bad, we have the free will to fix it the way we want. We go to Heaven or Hell based on what we do with our free will.
This concept is not one that should let you know that taking the easier road is okay. With each choice, you are either taking one step closer towards Heaven or Hell. Let this be motivation to do all things in the way of the Lord to step into his arms. Like everything else, you choose your faith. Choose wisely.
