"Yes, Heaven -- that beautiful place I went to. There was a wall with all kind of precious jewels and something that looked like a pearl was a gate. Buildings inside the wall were sparkling and shining and looked like gold. The street looked like it was gold, too, and shined so much that it seemed as if you could see through it."

Chapter 18

"Lizzie Jane cannot be dead," cried Aunt Maudie.

Doc Brown tried one last thing even though there didn't seem to be any hope. He took his fist and hit one solid blow to Lizzie Jane's chest. Placing the stethoscope on her chest, he reported, "Her heart has started back." He promptly raised her head, took his finger and moved her tongue around, blew in her face causing her to gasp and she started breathing on her own.

"That is called a precordial thump. I read about it in a recent medical journal last week. Although it is supposed to be used in an observed cardiac arrest --- well, it worked. I moved the tongue around to open the airway. We still need to get her to a hospital quickly, though."

Lizzie Jane looked around, her eyes falling first on Jake, after that she saw the good doctor and Aunt Maudie.

"Jake..." she began.

"Shhh - hush dear, you don't need to talk," said Aunt Maudie.

"Yes, I do!" insisted Lizzie Jane. "I have something to say and it is important. I was not meant to die, so I was sent back."

"Sent back?" asked Aunt Maudie.

"Yes --- sent back. And Jake, I love you and I will marry you."

Jake said, "You told me that the last time you were going to a hospital and you lost your memory."

"This time I ain't going to no hospital and I know what I am saying. Please let me tell you something," insisted Lizzie Jane.

Doc Brown spoke, "You need some rest now -- and you need to go to a hospital for a mental evaluation."

"No, I don't. That is what I want to tell you."

"You are going to the hospital," insisted Jake.

"No, I am NOT going to no hospital."

"Yes, you are. I am bigger than you and I will carry you if necessary."

"And I had to rescue you one time! I am tough and I am okay. So there!!"

"Okay kids," said Doc Brown. "Let's put you on the bed and I will let you talk for just a minute and then we will decide what to do with you."

"Okay, while I was dead, I went to a beautiful place..." began Lizzie Jane.

"You wan't dead enough to go anywhere," said Jake.

"Shut up, husband, and let me talk. Time is nothing in Heaven."

"Heaven?" Doc Brown and Aunt Maudie questioned together.

"Yes, Heaven -- that beautiful place I went to. There was a wall with all kind of precious jewels and something that looked like a pearl was a gate. Buildings inside the wall were sparkling and shining and looked like gold. The street looked like it was gold, too, and shined so much that it seemed as if you could see through it."

Tears began to fill her eyes as she continued, "and the first person I saw was that little crippled girl who died when I was in the hospital. She ran up to the gate and hugged my neck and thanked me for telling her to go to Jesus. She had the prettiest smile,'

"and the next person I saw was my momma. She was smiling, too, and hugged my neck. I started to go in and momma said I couldn't. I asked why and she said that it was not time for me to die. Oh, the place was so pretty and I wanted to go in so bad, but momma wouldn't let me. She said our heavenly father had a message for me.

"She pointed toward a bright light which I could not look at because it was so bright. It was God. I wondered how could I talk to God when I could not see him. Then a man walked out of the light. He looked like a normal man, except that he was beautiful. I cannot explain that. He walked toward me and said that I could talk to God by talking to him. That was why he came to earth one time as a man, so that people could know God. He showed me his hands and I saw scars -- big scars and he said, 'This is where I was wounded in the house of my friends'.

"He told me the same thing momma had told me many times -- that I had something to do on earth -- that I would be a good wife to a wonderful husband and have children and that I should carry them to church where they could learn about God. He told me that I have a long life ahead of me and God would use me in a marvelous way -- in such a way that I would not believe right now -- that all things that has happened to me was preparing me for that work.'

"I asked who my husband will be and he said that when I wake up, the man who was prepared to be my husband would be the first person I would see. When I came back, the first person I saw was Jake."

Turning her head to Jake, "So I guess we are destined to be married."

Jake smiled. Lizzie Jane continued, "and I am sorry for what I did. But my attempt at taking my life was for a good reason."

Jake replied, "I am sorry for what I said, too."

Looking at the small group, Lizzie Jane ended with, "so I was sent back. The man with scars in his hands said that Doc Brown would be given the knowledge on what to do to bring me back, but that he would not believe it would work."

"I didn't think it would work," said Doc Brown, "but Maudie was screaming and crying, so I had to try something. You see, you did not have a heart attack. You choked to death."

Aunt Maudie had to say something. "Dear, do you not know who that man was that had the scars in his hands?"

"No, not really. I thought in Heaven, all scars would be done away with," answered Lizzie Jane.

"That man was Jesus. He will keep his scars to show that he died as a sacrifice for us so that we can go to Heaven. The scars is where they nailed his hands to the cross with those big ole nails. When we talk to God, we go through Jesus. The Bible says he is our mediator between us and God. He was a man that others could see and handle, so that we could go to God."

"So, Doc -- I am well, healthy and a good mind. God did it and he did it perfectly." Lizzie Jane turned toward Jake. "Now I know there will never be anyone but you in my life."

"Wonder how many children we will have?" Jake wondered aloud in a joking manner.

"Oh, I guess about a dozen --- for a start."

 
 
The End-