Heavenly Treasure

By Shona Horton

‘Jesus moved from the entrance so the girls could peer in. He gently placed his hands on their backs and encouraged them through to this strange yet enticing place. They had reached heaven and can you imagine what was on the other side?’
In the winter months of July two little girls lives were cut exceptionally short. This is their story of what happened when they reopened their eyes to the mysterious world of life after death. They find Jesus waiting for them, ready to lead them to extraordinary adventures, moving throughout the heavens and meeting the bible’s saints along the way. The heavens are much bigger than they ever imagined and as the journey of their story grows, they grow with it...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shona Horton
• Release date: Mar 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9780994401618

Book preview

Horton-Heavenly_Treasure_title_page.pdf

Heavenly Treasure

Published by Shona Horton

Australia

© 2015 Shona Horton

ISBN 978-0-9944016-0-1 (Softcover)

ISBN 978-0-9944016-1-8 (ePUB)

ISBN 978-0-9944016-2-5 (Kindle)

Production & Typesetting:

Andrew Killick

Castle Publishing Services

www.castlepublishing.co.nz

Cover design:

Paul Smith

Scripture quotations are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Creator: Horton, Shona, author.

Title: Heavenly Treasure / written by Shona Horton.

ISBN: 9780994401601 (paperback)

ISBN 978-0-9944016-1-8 (ebook : epub)

ISBN 978-0-9944016-2-5 (ebook : Kindle)

Target Audience: For primary school age.

Subjects: Heaven–Juvenile fiction.

Bible–Juvenile fiction.

Children’s stories.

Children–Death–Juvenile fiction.

Dewey Number: A823.4

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author.

In loving memory of Melissa

Contents

Introduction

Keira & Ellah

Gone Fishing

Meeting Diane

The Throne Room

Their Home

Noah’s Garden

Zacchaeus

Jewels & Blossoms

Protecting Heaven

Elijah & Elisha

Silkworms

The Great Surprise

Meeting Lucas

Back In Time

Finding Mary

A Second Heaven

To the Stars & Beyond

The Mountains

Family

Josh & Joshua

Finding God

Training Grounds

Painting

The Scroll

Bible References

About the Author

Introduction

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Something I have always believed in is the silver lining theory. When I lost my best friend at the age of 31 I was so grieved, that to me, there was no sign of anything good belonging to it. Melissa was eight months pregnant when it happened, a baby no one was blessed to hold. Her two daughters, Keira and Ellah, also lost their short lives that day. Melissa left behind two older sons, a devastated family and many friends.

How could there possibly be an upside to this tragedy? And there lies the reason for the girls’ story to be told. If I can reach into the minds and hearts of the younger generation and plant in them a picture of what heaven might really be like then there is some hope and light in this tragedy. If I can recall pictures painted in my imagination from books read in my childhood then I have a responsibility to the younger generation to do the same for them.

I have two young girls of my own that are encouraged to believe in the deeper mysteries of God. God is not boring! Heaven does not consist of sitting around playing harps all day. When I started writing this book I asked God how on earth was I going to write a book on heaven when I had never been there? He kindly opened it up for me every time I sat down at my computer. There would be times when I would be in my bedroom and he would prompt me in my spirit to go and write. I would say, But I don’t know what to write, and as I obediently sat down at my desk I would start to type and he would show me exactly what to write. Heaven opened up in the screen of my mind and I could get lost there for hours. There was an occasion where I tried to write without him and the pages disappeared from my screen. So, even though this book is classed as fiction, I believe what I have written to be true. I have watched those two beautiful girls grow and I hold them so close in my heart. I believe as you read this book it will come alive for you, bring healing where needed and paint an awesome picture of the marvels and mysteries of God and the heavens.

Chapter 1

Keira & Ellah

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Keira and Ellah had been playing dress-ups, and as usual there was a disagreement about whose lipgloss Ellah really had in her purse. Being that Ellah was only two and a half and Keira was almost five, it would be pretty obvious who was going to win the battle. Except this time, neither of them had gained possession of the now half mushed lipgloss. Their mum had seized the apparent weapon and put it high out of reach. As you can see, these two sisters had the normal love-you-one-minute, hate-you-the-next kind of relationship that most girls have. They came from an exceptionally loving family and were both lovely girls, full of life and adventure. Perhaps that was what made losing them even harder.

It was a typical New Zealand cold, wintery day in the middle of July when the terrible accident happened. As the girls opened their eyes everything was different. They would no longer be living on earth, but would go to a special place called heaven. You see, Keira and Ellah had died that day and even though that sounds so incredibly sad to you and me, what was about to happen would wipe away their tears forever. Although they wouldn’t see their family on earth again for a while, they were about to encounter eternity with God and all his followers.

The first person they saw was an angel with extremely large wings and a beautiful, radiant face. He was very tall and when he leant down to pick them up they knew they would be safe in his arms. The angel’s name was Michael and when the girls had died he was there waiting to take them up to heaven. The girls were captivated by Michael, his radiance lit up the whole room. So much so, they could barely recognise their room anymore. As they looked up at him in awe he began to speak.

Now Keira and Ellah, how would you like to go up to heaven? By boat, by carriage, scooter, or maybe you would prefer to fly?

Keira and Ellah both shouted with excitement, Fly, fly, ohhh can we please fly?

So Michael scooped them up in his arms, gave a mighty thud with his wings and off they went. Straight through the ceiling, above the houses, into another atmosphere. They flew so fast – up, up, up. Too fast for even the wind to catch them.

As they flew up through the clouds they came to an enormous pearly gate. It was as white as snow all around and the light coming through the gate felt warm on their faces. There was a kind looking man standing there with his arms opened wide, waiting, for them. He called out their names and the girls ran into his arms. He was so delighted he swung them both around and around.

Hello Keira, hello Ellah, he proclaimed. My name is Jesus and I’ve been waiting for you. Did you enjoy your flight?

Both girls started to giggle, they giggled so much they thought their sides would split! Yes! That was so much fun, we really, really want to do that again, Keira said.

And I’m sure you will, Jesus replied.

Jesus moved from the entrance so the girls could peer in. He gently placed his hands on their backs and encouraged them through to this strange yet enticing place. They had reached heaven and can you imagine what was on the other side?

The scenery had changed dramatically from white to colour. Every colour of the rainbow shone as far as their vision could take them. The greenest of grasses, trees made with colours they had never seen before. It was beyond beautiful. It stretched out before them like a beckoning land to explore. After taking in the landscape, Ellah noticed the wings that had attached themselves to Keira’s back.

You have them too! exclaimed Keira. Why do we have wings? she asked Jesus.

He just smiled and the love in his eyes told them they would be needing some help travelling around this rather large place. How they had loved the flight to heaven with Michael and now they were going to learn to fly themselves with their very own wings!

As they went in further past the gates they saw many different types of animals. Some they had seen in picture books back on earth and some they had never had sight of before. All were very friendly and well groomed. Some of the most brightly coloured birds were sitting in the trees picking the beautifully plump fruits. The grass underneath them was soft and cool on their feet and the breeze gently passing by was warm and inviting. Jesus looked like he was going to burst with excitement. Keira noticed first and likened it to her birthday morning when she would try and guess what was inside the wrapped presents.

What are you so excited about, Jesus? she queried.

Another one of his loving smiles spread out across his face and he stopped and pointed ahead… Look, he said. Over there is the river of life, go and swim in it if you like.

Ellah, who was the younger and least confident about swimming, took a giant running leap through the air and dived right into the deep waters.

Wait for me! Keira shouted as she leapt in behind her.

For a tiny second she thought about the beautiful clothes she was wearing and how they would be ruined in the water but the excitement won the better of her and in she bounded. Deeper and deeper the girls went, right into the bottom of the river, where they could hear singing and clicking as the pebbles skimmed along underneath