Waiting Inside the Gates of Heaven

This is the story about a man in a farming community in mid-western USA whose son came down with a rare, fatal disease at the age of nine. Two years after coming down with the disease the boy was on his deathbed, and it was only a matter of time before he died.

One night he took a bad turn and the doctor was summoned. After a thorough examination of the boy, the doctor motioned to the father to join him outside before saying:

“We’ve known each other a long time, and I delivered that little boy in there. But I gotta tell you straight. He’ll be lucky if he lasts the night.”

The doctor left, and the farmer, shoulders slumped, went in to say goodbye to his son. He reminisced with him about the wonderful times they’d spent together - hunting, fishing, camping. The father then went on to tell his son basically what the doctor had told him. The boy was remarkably cheerful and said:

“That’s OK Dad, I’m going to meet Jesus in Heaven, and I’m gonna wait just inside the Gates until you come.” (pause) “You will come, won’t you Dad?”

The father was dumbfounded. The tears welled up in his eyes and he couldn’t find the words to comfort his son. Instead he got up slowly and went outside with a heavy heart. He strolled through the barn and out into a ploughed field. There, for the first time in his life he got down on his knees in the soil and prayed. 

“God, I’m just a humble farmer and I don’t have much of a way with words, especially them big ones which I sure would like to be able to use to talk to you right now if it’d help.

But I’m gonna tell you the way it is, and I’ll let you decide whether you wanna help me out or not.

You see, my little boy’s lyin’ in there dyin’, and he’s tellin’ me he’s gonna wait for me just inside the Gates of Heaven.

Well, God, the truth of the matter is, as you well know, that at this very moment I’d have to go in there and tell him I won’t be comin’.

You see, I’ve tried to lead a good, honest life, but unlike my wife and my son, I’ve never had much to do with you.

But my little boy sure loves you though, and he knows he’s gonna be in Heaven with you soon. With all my heart I’d give anything to be able to tell him I’ll be there with him some day.”

The farmer paused and thought deeply…

“I’m a simple man, God, and all my life I’ve been a man of my word. If my little boy believes, and has so much faith in you, then I believe too, and I make this solemn promise to learn more about you, and follow you the rest of my days.

Then I know I’ll see my son again in Heaven.”

When he finished the prayer, a warm, comforting feeling came over the farmer, and he knew instantly that his prayer had been answered. He got up off his knees and went inside and told his wife what had happened. She told him to go and speak to his son.

The farmer wiped the tears from his eyes and went in to face his son.

“Yes son. You just wait inside the Gates of Heaven and I’ll be with you as soon as God’s done with me here on earth”.

The boy passed away before morning.