Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

As a child I had a relative that I cannot name for obvious reasons and cannot state the relationship. Let it suffice to say this person was a family member.

My earliest recollections are of an old woman that did not like me. I would go to her home with my parents and most of the time she would find a reason to tell me I was stupid. I never really understood why I was not liked, I mean what is there not to like about a well behaved little boy? With my parents being the people they were I was well behaved or else, the or else part is no fun to remember. I lived within a couple hundred yards of this woman’s home, but I did not like to go to her house unless one of my parents was with me.

As I became older and especially after I had started to keep a promise to one of my grandmothers to read the bible thru in a year, the relationship became even more bizarre. At the time I did not realize that the things I would tell this person about that which I had read in my bible, were really the culprits. I knew nothing about the power of the Word of God.

I remember as I would tell this lady about what the bible said, she would get really offensive and started to tell me I did not know what I was talking about and would even curse at me for sharing these things. I was told to just shut up on numerous occasions.

Time moved on and I grew up and started a family and I did not see her much, I did ask her to come hear me preach, she just turned and walked away. By this time I knew the problem was not me, but it was her heart.

As I sit and type this I can hear her voice in my mind as she would tell me there is no such place as hell. She thought it impossible to be tormented in a literal burning hell for eternity. Her logic was this, anything that you put in fire will burn up, end of discussion! She followed the teaching of a well known religious cult that does not believe in a hell as the bible teaches.

Well the years rolled on and she became very sick and was admitted to the hospital. Family members had to stay with her around the clock. It just happened that my mother was taking her shift when the end came.

These were the last words she voiced on this side of life.

Please get my feet out of the fire!

James Avery jamesaveryfwb@earthlink.net