Journey to Eternity: Receiving a Forever Home

By Gerald W. Donaldson

This is a allegorical story based on Matthew 7:13-14 and chapter 22 with a focus on the terms "many" and "few" used in both passages. These terms are represented by two men raised in Christian homes but with differing personal, career and spiritual choices. Both men are invited to a royal wedding banquet, compelled to attend by the King of Eternity with a promise of a "deserved forever home". Their journeys to this event are chronicled, one traveling the Broad Road and the other, on the Narrow Road. This is somewhat inspired by "Pilgrim's Progress", updated to briefly address current issues from a Christian and non-Christian perspective.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664237858

Gerald W. Donaldson

He is a lifelong resident of DeKalb County in NE Indiana and has been a Christian for nearly fifty years, serving at various times, as church elder, Sunday School teacher and small group Bible studies leader. He also led a mission team to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He survived a near fatal fall at age 19, critically injured with a multiple skull fracture and blood clot on the brain as well as experiencing temporary paralysis and coma. He also survived a near fatal car accident two years later and is a two-time heart attack survivor, once in 2003 and most recently, in 2016, a very severe one in which he could have died. His near death experiences have enabled him to appreciate every day as a gift from God. These experiences have also given him a unique perspective on current social, political, spiritual and cultural issues. He has been blessed with a Christian wife, Mary, and their two sons, Jon and David, and their families, resulting in six grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2021 Gerald W. Donaldson.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

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of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-3786-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3787-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3785-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021912610

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/09/2021

CONTENTS

Preface: A Note To The Reader

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1     Friedrich Receives His Invitation

Chapter 2     A Special Messenger For Otto

Chapter 3     Friedrich’s Spiritual Development

Chapter 4     Otto Reflects On His Past

Chapter 5     Parental Memories And Influences

Chapter 6     A Childhood Of Hate And Resentment

Chapter 7     Hometown Heroes

Chapter 8     Otto’s Budding Career

Chapter 9     Final Preparations

Chapter 10   Otto Chooses His Path

Chapter 11   Friedrich’s First Day

Chapter 12   Otto’s First Day

Chapter 13   Unexpected Adversity

Chapter 14   Betrayed

Chapter 15   Victorious

Chapter 16   Otto’s Good Fortunes

Chapter 17   A Better Day For Friedrich

Chapter 18   Sudden Changes

Chapter 19   Perils And Pitt Falls

Chapter 20   Banquet Eve At The Lion’s Den

Chapter 21   Friedrich’s Good Day

Chapter 22   Otto’s Luck Changes

Chapter 23   Welcome To Eternity

Chapter 24   Otto’s Deserved Forever Home

PREFACE:

A NOTE TO THE READER

Some of you may be wondering how or why this was written in this way regarding the characters and related storylines. Let me try to explain. I hope many of you will understand what this book is trying to do. Please bear with me as I try to put into words why I wrote this book.

Several years ago, I read Matthew 7:13–14 as part of a daily devotional. It was a passage of scripture I had read and heard countless times before without any thought or impact. However, one day as I read this, the terms few and many kept jumping off the page. It states that only a few will find the road that is narrow, leading them to everlasting life. It further states that many will not find the road to everlasting life but will, instead, find a road that is broad and will ultimately lead them to destruction and eternal hell.

Later, I read Matthew 22:1–14. Again, few and many jumped out to me. God was beginning to stir something in me, and I didn’t really know what or why. It seemed that many implied a great deal more than 50 percent and few implied much less than 50 percent.

I still don’t know what the few and the many translate to actual percentages. Maybe it is best that I don’t know and just leave all that to God to determine. It is unfathomable that more people than not will enter hell forever rather than to have eternal life in heaven.

I was deeply troubled by the fact that only a few people will experience the eternal joys of living in heaven, but many will not. My heart was broken when I read that again and again. The terms many and few meant this reality remains difficult to accept.

That indicated that most people, motivated primarily by their own selfish desires, pleasures, and indulgences would rather live their earthly lives in such a way now that would later only result in any everlasting hell, eternally separate from a loving Father. That was difficult to comprehend why that was so. I read further in Matthew 7, particularly verses 15–23. It came to me why so many would not go to heaven at the end of time.

God created each of us with free will, which is the ability to think and know right from wrong. We were not created to be robots without thoughts or emotions. We all have the choice to either accept God or reject Him by how we live our lives and the decisions we make every day.

God, in His infinite wisdom, allows us to choose for ourselves whether God is important and relevant enough to live in obedience to Him and His Word every day. Either He takes first place in our lives or He doesn’t and something or someone else does.

Each of us, by our choices and priorities in life, honored by God, determine where we will spend our eternal time, either in heaven or in hell. Both places are literal and real. God will send us to one of these two places by how we lived our lives on earth and whether God was a priority.

For those choosing God, there is a reward in heaven, where there will be no more pain, crying, or death for those who obey Him and His Way (Revelation 22:1–4). There will be an eternal lake of fire or a second death for those who have rejected God in their lives (Revelation 20:11–15).

There will not be any second chances or do-overs at the end of time. It will be too late to decide. On Judgment Day, everyone goes to heaven or hell. There are the only two final but starkly different eternal destinations awaiting each of us. God does not make it any simpler than that.

My hope is that as you read this book, you will either be affirmed in your faith or will perhaps seriously evaluate your life in eternal terms. I tried my best to portray in this story the stark differences between a godly man and an ungodly man and where each will be sent at the end of time. If just one person who reads this book decides to commit or recommit himself or herself to God, then the effort to write this was well worth it.

Do you know, right now, if you are headed to heaven or hell? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Ask yourself, Who or what is really taking first place in my life? If you know beyond all doubt that you are in a living and loving relationship with God, I applaud you and pray that you continue your walk with Jesus victoriously and faithfully.

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior now, before it is too late, I would ask one thing from you. Pick up a Bible and read the following passages, keeping an open mind and heart: Luke 16:19-31; John 3:16; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1–3; Romans 10:9–10; Ephesians 2:8–10; Philippians 2:6–11; I John 1:9; I John 2:1–4; 1 John 4:10–11.

You still have a second chance if you are reading this. God is a loving God and He will honor your free will of acceptance or rejection of Him by sending you to an eternal destination of your own making. There is still time and a limited opportunity to change where your eternal destination will be. Don’t delay! See for yourself what the Bible says. It is my solemn prayer that you too will become one of the few who will take his or her own journey to eternity.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my parents for taking me and my siblings to church every Sunday possible, learning to have a living and loving relationship with Jesus daily. We also learned about all the wonderful attributes of God in a fallen world. The gospel message was faithfully and truthfully taught consistently as we grew up.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for taking us to church on a regular basis where we all eventually found our faith in Christ. For that I am so grateful. Without your love, intervention, and care, our connection with Jesus might never have happened.

I would also like to thank my immediate family for their support, starting with my wife, Mary Lou Eldridge, our two sons, Jon and David, and their families. Thanks also to my extended family and friends for their encouragement as well.

It is with my wife’s family in mind that I wrote this book the way I did. She and her family have a strong German heritage, and some can be traced to Ulm, Germany. Some of her American family members were named Ulmer. It is this heritage I wanted to honor.

My wife and I were blessed many years ago with a German exchange student named Ivica. He knew how to speak multiple languages, including English, and was such a joy to have around the house. He helped us learn some things about Germany and its culture as we taught him about the American way of life.

I must confess it wasn’t only my wife’s strong German background and our time with our exchange student that led me to write a story with a German or Austrian flair. One of my all-time favorite musicals is The Sound of Music, which is set in Austria during World War II. The scenery, along with the music, is spectacular and captivating. I wanted to borrow just a little bit from this wonderful musical to help with some of the storylines in this book.

I would like to also thank all the Sunday school teachers, pastors, ministers, and biblical instructors, as well as Christian friends, family, and acquaintances who have had such a positive influence in my walk with Jesus over the years. They have been strong men and women of faith who have correctly and properly taught scripture as God breathed. They lived their lives in such ways that matched what they taught. Their words and living examples helped me grow in my ever-developing faith so I could reach spiritual maturity.

As a first-time author, I am very grateful for everyone at WestBow Press for their professional insights, patience, encouragement, support, wisdom, understanding and services rendered. This book would not be possible without their assistance.

Finally, I would like to thank my heavenly Father for being so good, kind, and faithful to me. I am deeply flawed, imperfect, and fallen. I mess up every day, yet His Word says I am His and He loves me as I am no matter what I gave said or done. I feel, at times, I don’t deserve His love and forgiveness but am reminded repeatedly there is no limit on His willingness to love, forgive, and restore me as His own.

His Word is a daily and constant source of hope, instruction, encouragement, and strength. His Holy Spirit brings conviction, when needed, to my soul when I have gone my way instead of being obedient. Jesus Christ, His Son, died for my sins in the past, present, and future, so I could live in heaven at the end of time. I am so thankful for the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and their continuing work in me. Thank you!

1

FRIEDRICH RECEIVES

HIS INVITATION

It had been an ordinary summer day for Friedrich, a hardworking farmer. After a grueling day in his field, he was hot, tired, and hungry. But he was glad to be done with daily farming-related activities outside the rustic village of Ulmersburg, a small, friendly town with a population of nearly twelve-hundred.

A few minutes after five o’clock he walked out to the mailbox near the front porch, retrieved its contents, and brought everything to the kitchen. He quickly sorted the bills, depressed by how many needed to be paid sooner than later. Some months were more difficult than others for paying his bills on time, but he always found a way to pay them no matter what sacrifices he had to make.

He picked up the rest of the mail next. One piece stood out from the rest—a strange envelope with gold lettering from the King of Eternity. He quickly opened it to find a wedding invitation on behalf of the king’s son, the prince. He was unsure why he had received this. He slowly read the invitation.

The king has commanded your presence to a wedding banquet for his only beloved son at no cost to you. Appropriate wedding attire is required. Travel and come alone. Your invitation is needed for admission. No gifts are necessary. You will be given your deserved forever home upon arrival.

He had never received anything like this, certainly not from the king or anyone from his royal family. He was, however, bothered by the word commanded, meaning he had no other choice but to go to this celebratory event. The banquet, one of several to be held, was scheduled a week from today.

The invitation stated there were two distinctly different roads he could take to reach the king’s residence. The first route was the Broad Road, traveled by many, and the second way was known as the Narrow Road, which only a few people used. He was grateful no gifts were required, one less expense.

His expensive dress suit and tie for special occasions as weddings and funerals hung in his closet, last worn two years previous. He didn’t have money to buy or rent formalwear. He had to immediately make plans and tend to his personal affairs if he was going to attend the banquet on time.

He had to leave the next day, needing six days to travel to the king’s location. He contacted his close friend and neighbor, Mannfred, to see if he’d be willing to care for the farm in his absence. Mannfred understood Friedrich’s dilemma, agreeing to help his friend of almost thirty years.

Friedrich knew the king had been the ruler for many more years than he had been alive. It seemed strange why he, a simple farmer, was suddenly commanded to attend this special royal event. He was unaware that others received similar invitations, most by regular mail, some personally delivered by the king’s appointed servant.

He had to make sure he wasn’t dreaming or delusional. Was this possibly some cruel joke or prank at his expense? If this was truly the king’s special invitation and he was commanded to attend, then he certainly would go as directed. His eyes suddenly focused on the king’s invitation that promised him his deserved forever home. He wasn’t sure what the king meant by this or why the king had made this promise in the first place. Did it mean he was going to have to give up his farm, home, and livelihood now or in the future? Was he expected to give something to the king in return for his forever home?

He was confused by the unexpected invitation, special requests, and the unusual promise from the king. He wasn’t a social person but realized he had to make this trip despite his insecurities. He didn’t want to risk the possibility of suffering horrible consequences by not going.

He wasn’t even aware of the king’s proper name. Should he call him Your Royal Majesty or Your Royal Highness if given the opportunity to meet him? What would he say to him next? Did he need to bow and kneel before the king? What was the proper protocol for an audience with the king? No one he knew had ever met a king.

He imagined how this banquet could turn out to be an unpleasant experience—stuttering for words or, worse yet, saying or doing something the king would find offensive or socially unacceptable. He feared the very worst; his stomach twisted into knots thinking about