Prologue
Forces from the spiritual realm are at work inside every human being. These forces have been active since the creation of man and conscience when God imparted a soul within mankind to love them in His image. The imbuement of a soul captures distinctions of right or wrong, good or evil, blessed or cursed.
“Dad, it’s good to see you, good to be with you again.
It’s been better for me because of your having been,
The one who taught me to love God and in Him keep,
All that I would know while an earthly shadow reap,
But a taste, a smile, some sorrow, some sweet,
Of earthly fare and heart, shall I later Jimmy meet.”
“It’s good to see you daughter in the same glow,
To live here with all of us forever you know,
Here your mother, father and a patiently waiting beau,
And meet you heavenly Father in His eternal meadow.”
“Please tell me I’ve done well, Father, ever,
Forgiving, ever loving to forget my slightest,
As I pine to now live with you forever,
As not a star, not a saint nor your brightest,
Light in heaven now as close is the sleep,
In your loving arms, in your embrace deep,
As one child who tried, enough I know never,
To cause favor above as this life is severed.
All I know before you, Lord, before your true light,
I stand, I bow, before you, Lord, in this final flight.
I know I’m but a speck among specks,
Of your creation, your gifts, your respect,
For failed man in so many ways through all time,
I ask for mercy, a final blessing, your love is mine,
Weak, weaker still, as I weakly tried to live, to be in one,
With you through it all; now I am finished here. I am done.
Through every valley mine only hope is I sought you,
Please tell me, Lord, nary a time I did not imbue,
Your heart that is in me, when it was right,
To put aside so much of man and fight the good fight.”
“You did well, sister, daughter. Come and love your family, Sara.”
Sara McGloughlin lived an extraordinary life. She was dying at this hour and would soon be gone. The Priest had been called to perform last rites as is a long standing tradition of the Catholic Church. She lived her life as a faithful Catholic. Had she been of another religion, doubtless she would have lived as faithfully. She made the effort to avoid sin although facing an almost daily, constant barrage of noise. As with all, there were temptations and woes hurled at her from some place she didn’t know. Sara was a plodder and resisting urges and conquering pain every human being receives into their bodies and minds became her joy. Following many years of wounds and tragedy in this life, often enough to make her ill, she came to delight in how easily she could shed the slightest and the greatest temptations. That became her source of pleasure throughout her body and mind.
Had she been a famous person in the public eye—a person of profound and public good works that affected many in the world, there was little doubt but that she could be sainted by the Catholic Church. Only the Church’s long standing tradition of requiring miracles directly attributable to the individual being nominated would have prevented final canonization of the beautiful Sara McGloughlin. The miracles surrounding her were less evident but as true.
Heaven is a mysterious thing for most people but not for Sara. She knew there was such a place—or state—a manner of living following physical death and judgment. She was bound for heaven and would soon be there with her mother and father. She would also see Jimmy. She would be free and happy. Until then there was life.
There is God. There is Satan.
