The Heaven or Hell of which theologians teach can be no better or worse than the heaven or hell which we, the children of the Almighty, often create for ourselves right here on earth. We just have to realize how well we have been taken care of, taken care of and blessed by a world that is in fact, a paradise. It was created specifically for us and to meet our every need. Just as an example, William Jennings Bryan expressed this thought on the most important and precious substance we have been blessed with, the substance called water. “Water, the daily need of every living thing. It ascends from the seas, obedient to the summons of the sun, and each descending showers are a blessing upon the earth, it gives of its sparkling beauty to the fragrant flowers; its alchemy transmutes clay into golden grain; it is the canvas upon which the fingers of the infinite traces the radiant bow of promise. It is the drink that refreshes and adds no sorrow with it. – Jehovah looked upon it at creations dawn and said- “It is good.” We could go on and on, speaking about each and every one of the substances on earth that sustains us. Most everything is good and has a purpose under the sun.
And yet, man has created hundreds if not thousands of substitutions for water to drink, knowing that with each sip the substitute is probably not as healthy and often even bad for us. What is ‘not good’ for the man, too often, is not good for the family. How many families have been separated or even torn apart because of alcohol, alone. I know of a father who was a good man, a family man, until he began to drink, from one glass, then to excess. His need became so great that he used his own family’s grocery money to get a drink. The mother was a seamstress and made very little to support her family after they separated. He was no longer contributing. He had to have a drink, and that became more important to him than family. He died at 63 years of age in a slummy hotel room. I tell that story and do so only to make a point. How many thousands of families can tell that same or a very similar story?
There has always been a few street people in our towns and cities, some sleeping on a park bench, others in an alley, etc. Many were, or had been, husbands and/or fathers with children wondering in what city their alcoholic father ended up. Wondering if he is OK, because they still care for him; he is their dad. The problem was primarily alcohol when I grew up but now there are drugs, too. We can read in the paper every day about the big city problems with ‘street people’, who are taking over many, once beautiful cities. Cities that were tourist attractions are now places where street people make their homes on the sidewalks. Their discarded needles and waste are a hazard for residents as well as visitors. These people were all once family members who were just trying out alcohol or a drug. Perhaps their friends convinced them that it would be a fun thing for them to do. The following is a typical story of how it starts: “A young man came into the School Counselor’s office who had just had a run in with his parents. He had started smoking and came home drunk one morning. On another occasion, he was escorted home by the police for breaking the towns curfew. Dan, was his name and he said, “Ever since I started smoking it seems everything has gone wrong – and I feel like everybody is against me. My folks are always griping at me and my school work has gone to pot. I’ve got to quit smoking.” Then his dad came to me for help. Dan had smarted off to his mother so his father slapped his face. His parents were heartsick because of the way their son was going. They didn’t know what to do about it. He had been running around until four in the morning and not letting them know where he was. He felt he no longer had any control over the son he loved.” How many families can tell that same story? Those are the stories that bring hell to earth. This life is the only life we have to prepare to meet God, and our best and safest way is as families. We must bind ourselves together in such a way that not one will feel the need to stray for acceptance. It is heart sickening to have a family member create a hell for himself/herself and their family in such a beautiful and wonderful world as we have been blessed to live on. There are innumerable ways and substances that turn our beautiful and wonderful world into something ugly, frightening, even a hell. It can happen even to the best of families. “Keep them close, love them tight.”