Peace in the Valley

Peace in the Valley

A long time ago, in a valley far away, lived an old man who had come there to stay many years before. This old man was now tired and weary, his life nearly over, he just wanted to lie down and die. He came to this valley to be alone, far away from family, far away from friends and far away from everything that had once been so familiar.

In his time on earth this man had done many things. He had hurt people. He had betrayed people. He had even slain people. All of these acts he had done of his own accord, with no thought for the consequences of the pain he had caused. He was truly a selfish man back then, filled with his own pain which he then passed on to others.

How did he come to this valley, one might ask? Such a man should be imprisoned, should he not? But this was not the case at all. Our man, Anton, was free, as free as the wind and the birds in the sky – as free as the clouds in heaven above.

Anton had no regrets about his life. He knew what he had done. He knew that he had hurt people. He knew that he had caused much pain in the world around him. But this was of no concern to him at the moment, because he had lived his life according to a plan. That plan had been set long before he was born, long before he had arrived on the earthly scene.

In that other world, where the planning took place, Anton had agreed to act as a precipitant of cosmic events. He knew that by killing people he would set many actions in motion. There would be outrage! There would be tirades! There would be pleas to have him killed in turn! He knew all of this but agreed nevertheless. Because he also knew another thing – all of his victims would have agreed to their role, just as he had, prior to their arrival on the earth scene.

Of course these individuals would forget, as did Anton, those roles they had all agreed to play. They would live their earth lives as if it were just a matter of course. When they all met on the earth scene, each in their various capacities, no one knew what the other was about to do. Anton, for his part, was seeking vengeance, for they had sinned, or so he believed. They had broken vows made to him. They had promised to be supportive in a critical way and they failed to do so. They had promised to help Anton, promised a plethora of actions, none of which they followed through on and Anton shot them as a result.

Now Anton did not know at the time of the sin that he was committing a most grotesque act. He had lost his mind, you see, just prior to when these grisly encounters took place. He had become a bitter man who felt scorned and hurt when his delirious mind shouted: “lash out – give them their just desserts.” And he did, even though at another time, he would have likely known better. But when these series of events took place, vengeance was all he knew and he acted out his role right on cue.

The victims, for their part, returned to Heaven to see that they had indeed fulfilled their destiny. There in life’s shadows, where uncertainty dwelt, they had played their parts right to the end. Now it was all those individuals left behind that were feeling befuddled and sad. They had lost precious ones and were aghast as to how their loved ones had been dispatched from earth. They wanted Anton hanged from the highest tree. They could not fathom that he might be set free.

In the aftermath of the trial, to everyone’s amazement, Anton was sentenced to ‘life in prison’ and not to ‘death’ as the family members had all hoped for. Anton’s sentence was mitigated by the fact that the jury knew at some level that he was just playing a role. But that role could not go unpunished, so off to jail for a lifetime Anton was duly sent. There he was to live out the remainder of his life and never see freedom again.

But Anton knew something no one else knew. He knew that God had told him what to do once the play was afoot. “Remember, dear Anton, you agreed before you left; you promised you would fulfill your role and take care of those chores.”

Now Anton was mad, on that everyone agreed. And that was how the ugly task had to proceed. Because deep down, Anton was no killer, no slayer of kin. He wanted love in his life, that was his goal. In his delusion, he thought he heard “kill” when in fact the message was “be still.” But in his madness he could not discern the truth in the message, and yes, he did have a role to play. The madness had taken him over, as was part of the plan, and Anton acted out his role to perfection. And when all was said and done, Anton went to jail like anyone would who had carried a weapon and taken the lives of those thought to be innocent.

However, in the Great Hall of Records, where all such tallies were kept, Anton had played his part as had been agreed upon, and earned full marks for this most difficult of tasks. When he ultimately arrived on God’s side of the veil, the victims he had dispatched were there to greet him and were happy to share that all had done their parts while living on the earth scene. Yes, those were difficult times, but the lessons had to be done, for too many down there would never venture forth to learn on their own; so an intervention had to be brought forth to ensure the lessons were learned.

So how did our dear Anton wind up in this peaceful valley when there were so many sorrows he had caused? Well, Anton, having finished his assignment as “the murderer gone berserk,” was awarded a benefit for the work he had done. Back to Earth he was sent, but this time on a holiday. God said:

“Thank you son, you have earned your rest. I know in that lifetime that you did your very best. And I thank you for helping with those lessons about truth. That wasn’t an easy task, but people often want proof before a lesson is fully learned. So with you down there, mad and berserk, the lessons were delivered and the people involved had to learn, for their feelings were hurt, and there could be no shutting off of their personal hell on this occasion.

“You’ve done well, my faithful companion. Go and have a rest and let yourself unwind. There is no need for sorrow; no one really had to let go. They all wound up back here with Me to tell of that adventure and their shame. ‘It was difficult,’ they said, ‘but part of the game.” None of them complained once they were back here. They all knew the attack was not intentional. It was merely done under the guise of roles assigned and roles taken, lessons to be learned and not forsaken.

“Everyone involved agreed this had to happen, to illustrate the point that Love must never be forgotten. And a promise is a promise, forever and ever. When one of us breaks our word, it is possible for someone affected, to lose their minds and seek revenge in return. You did your task my dear Anton, so please forgive yourself at this time. I allowed this to happen because this is how all of you chose to learn. My way would have been gentler. But remember when we began, I gave you ‘free will’ and you took it and ran.

“So when you arranged your lessons it was you who decided ‘with whom’ and ‘when’. You decided someone had to die to make the point. So Anton, my friend, I know you are remorseful, but you also agreed to these ends and lost your faculties to see it through. Now you are saddened by the deeds that were done. And that is why, dear Anton, I want you to go and have some fun.

“There is a little valley down there that is peaceful and bright. It is quiet right now and all is truly beautiful in that setting. You will have no end of peace there, my friend and you can use this opportunity to heal your tortured soul. Go there and heal my friend. Live to a ripe old age. And when you are done with that assignment, then return to Me as swiftly as you can.

“I will receive you again with open arms, no matter what roles you decide to play. But this time Anton, no one will be hurt and non one will lose their minds. Only the stillness will be with you, and the love, and the wind. All will be peaceful, you will see. And I will be there every day to speak to you in any way that can reach your thirsty soul. For it is only I who can satisfy your innate craving for the Divine. Go in peace my brother, my friend. Enjoy your holiday, you have earned it.”

And that was how our man Anton found himself in this peaceful valley setting. He did remember now the previous time, when he had lost his mind and gone berserk. But all was love to him now and he thirsted for more with each passing day. Listening to his heart was all he wanted to do now. And honoring his Lord’s wishes was how he wanted to come true.

The love and light of God were with him every day. Anton never missed a chance to pray. He saw God’s light in everything he came across, felt and touched. “This life was a blessing,” he was often moved to say. And he thanked the Great Creator daily for this chance to be at peace.

Somehow Anton knew this valley was a special place, given to him for reasons which he could not fully fathom, but was more than willing to accept. And that was when God said: “Anton, come home my friend. I miss you and have need of your company. Come on home to Heaven; we’ll have a chat and then some tea.”

When Anton returned to Heaven after his sojourn in the peaceful valley, he understood why it had been such a peaceful place and why he needed to be there for that lifetime. His Lord had sent him there to contemplate and to heal, and once again, he did it all to the very best of his ability.

And All Was Well in His World