Although Timothy treated no one badly, neither was he very kind. He plan was to keep himself busy looking for the chance of a lifetime that kept slipping from his grasp.
His view of God wasn’t all that different from his view of anyone else he didn’t pay much attention to. Should someone ask him if he loved his neighbor as himself, he’d say, Sure, why not?
One day it was Timothy’s day to go through the pearly gates. Although he got through (perhaps by the skin of his pearly teeth or perhaps because there really is Someone who generously hands out unmerited mercy – if the heart can handle it – rather than gotcha karma with interest), he regretted all he could have done differently when he had – all along – that chance of a lifetime.
______
Denise offers the prompt word “plan” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 
“ Regrets I’ve had a few, than again, too few to mention “.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point about those regrets. Blessings!
LikeLike
Just quoting from Sinatra’s My Way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did recognize that line from the song. Which makes me think doing it my way may not be the best way to do it as Timothy found out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
surely a most economical definition of Hell, to be at the final moment and realize how simple it was to have decided on a different path
LikeLiked by 2 people
That does sound like a good definition of Hell. Without forgiveness all we’d have is unpayable karma. Blessings, Clark!
LikeLike
I would say the bible has the master plan but it is very difficult to stick close to the teachings. Christians may get bullied in inhumane ways. This is the world. Peace be with you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Peace be with you as well and many blessings!
LikeLike
Seeing as how the majority of the world population have decided to forego living in accordance with the second main scriptural tenant- love your neighbor- I would think they are finding heaven a lot less crowded these days…..
LikeLiked by 2 people
It may be. I don’t know. We will find out. Blessings, Violet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So he could have been better, still he was through…
LikeLiked by 1 person
He got through. That’s was the important part. I imagine he has already forgotten his lost opportunity in the past. Blessings, Chris!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Where there’s mercy, there’s hope for those who didn’t quite get what the plan was…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point. He didn’t really know what was going on. Blessings, Liz!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad that he squeaked through; a merciful god would do that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
He did squeak through and that’s what now counts for him. Blessings, Misky!
LikeLike
At first I was thinking similarly as Clark – wouldn’t that have been hell. Then it hit me perhaps Timothy qualified more for Purgatory which, I suppose might be even worse than hell. You’re almost to heaven but… not quite.
Misky’s comment rings true. Glad Timothy got there anyway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Purgatory does sound like a better description of his current regret, at least until he realizes that he did actually get to Heaven. Then his purgatory is over. Blessings, Denise!
LikeLiked by 1 person
i’ve always loved the whole pearly gates cartoon of standing at the gates in a line…. with an angel standing there date stamping your entrance…. or as a kid it could be the wizard of oz or even santa claus standing there behind a rather large tall podium with round glasses and a really really really big book with pages and pages of unending pages of names listed alphabetically and he asks one question… how did you treat your dog? … i’m sure that would surprise a lot of people….
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a great question to ask. Blessings, Ms Pie!
LikeLike
The worst regret ever…
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is indeed the worst regret ever. Blessings, Jim!
LikeLiked by 1 person
True
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is all of grace, all of mercy. Even those of us who want to love and serve him don’t do it right all the time and have plenty of regrets, things we know now we could have done better. He uses those things, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good reminder that He can use even those things we now know we could have done better. Blessings, Mimi!
LikeLike