A man has a dream: he dies and goes to hell.
While in hell the man notices there are many tables, and starving people are sitting all around the great tables. There is hot food to accommodate all tastes on the table. Nevertheless, people are starving, with food torturing them right before their eyes.
Each person has a six-foot-long fork in their left hand, and a six-foot-long spoon in the other hand. The people in hell cannot get to the delicious food, because the forks reach beyond their mouths and the spoons are too big.
The next night, the man dreams of going to heaven.
When he gets to heaven he sees tables as far as the eyes can see. The tables are full of hot, wonderful food. Now the man is very curious, because he sees that all the believers have a six-foot-long fork in their left hand, and a six-foot-long spoon in the other hand.
It’s beginning to look like the same dream all over again! Yet, there’s a difference. All the people in heaven are content and satisfied and happy.
Then, he understood why. In heaven, as they were seated at the table, each person fed the person on the other side. The difference between heaven and hell was giving and love! Believers who love God find the fulfillment of that love in extending love to others.
“Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (1 John 4:21).
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as Christmas draws near and we prepare to give and love as part of the season, let the Christ of Christmas be given to us yet again to love us even more so that our faith in you grows. As much as you provide for our needs, provide us opportunities to help others in their needs. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Read Matthew 25:31-46. It’s a parable of Jesus about arriving in heaven. A characteristic of believer is that they know how to give and love. Who do you see as someone who needs you to give or love this weekend? Say a prayer.
