Interviews with Guardian Angels (standard:Inspirational stories, 9945 words)
Author: GJELLIS	Added: Dec 21 2005	Views/Reads: 3329/2184	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A cynical newspaper man interviews the guardian angels of historical persons. His questions about the meaning of life are answered.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

moment. I think you will like what I have to say.” He said. 

I was still standing behind my desk as the stranger situated himself in
one of two metal chairs I had in front of my desk. As he sat down, the 
door behind him slowly closed on its' own. I must have been staring at 
this because he said, “Do not be frightened. I mean you no harm. My 
name is John Henry.” “Well John Henry, forgive me if I am a bit 
nervous.” I dropped into my chair, not believing what I just saw. He 
smiled at me as he spoke, “I have been allowed to come here so that I 
might explain, or rather, have explained to you by others your 
question.” 

Slowly I responded, “What question?” 

“The one you have had for many years. The one you asked one night while
you were a student.” 

A bit calmer, I said, “As a student, I'm sure I had many questions.
Which one are you referring to?” 

Still smiling, he said. “Think back to the time when you were almost
finished with your seminary classes. You had just seen a report about a 
terrorist attack. The loss of life and the cruel taking of life in 
general saddened you. You asked a question in your heart.” As he spoke, 
a mental image formed in my mind. That night I saw on the television 
the reports of a terrorist attack in the Middle East. Dozens had died. 
Among them were many young children. As I sat watching, I became 
enraged and wanted to know.... why! “That is correct. You wanted to 
know why.” 

“How did you know what I was thinking?” 

“I know a great deal about you Mister Durham. That is why I was chosen
to answer your question.” 

I thought for a moment then responded, “Why should I believe you. I
don't know you. I've never talked to you. Why is your answer going to 
be the answer of all answers?” 

The smile quickly faded away as he said very quietly, “You will not have
to rely on my words alone Mister Durham.  Today you going to meet four 
guardian angels and each of them will tell you who they were 
responsible for and how they did it. In this way you will learn the 
answer to your question.” Incredible! I thought to myself. I have a nut 
case in my office. “Listen Mister.... what was your name again? 

“John Henry... it is important that you listen to these angels and learn
the answer to your question.” 

Becoming annoyed I said, “Listen, I have a lot of work to do this
afternoon and I really don't have time for this....” 

The stranger quickly stood up. His demeanor stiffened. “Your question is
the same question men have been asking almost from the beginning. The 
answer was always before them, but they would not listen.” 

Feeling a little taken aback by his actions I made another attempt at
snubbing this episode, “I suppose these four angels will visit me 
tonight and in the morning I'll be so glad that I'm not dead and go and 
buy the prize goose and give it to Bob Cratchet and Tiny Tim!” 

Instead of being offended, the man smiled again, “Very clever Mister
Durham... may I call you Grant?” 

“Whatever.” I shot back. 

“Grant, I will not be dissuaded from performing my duty.” 

I must admit this was beginning to intrigue me. It was strange that I
did not feel threatened by this intrusion, which I should have since he 
was able to enter a room with the door locked. “Very well, show me what 
you got!” 

He smiled and said, “When you were in Vietnam, you knew a Tom
Silvernale. Do you remember?” 

“Silvernale...Silvernale.... yeah, I remember Silvernale. We called him
Tenpenny. How do you know him?” 

“I do not know him. But there is someone here who does.” 

As the stranger spoke, I noticed a shadow move across the doorframe, it
was a silhouette of someone standing outside the locked door. I watched 
as the doorknob turned and the door opened just as it had before. In 
the darkened shadows of the office another man entered. He silently 
closed the door behind him and turned and acknowledged the first man 
who was seated infront of my desk. He looked to be about the same age 
as the first visitor, but a bit shorter. He wore the same clothing as 
John Henry but this new visitor had very dark brown hair and dark eyes. 
He stood looking at me with a slight smile showing. 

“Mr. Durham, my name is Andrew. I am pleased to meet you.” He did not
offer his hand but sat in the other chair and continued to smile. 

I asked, “So, you knew Tom Silvernale?” 

“Yes. I believe he went by the nickname of Tenpenny.” 

I gave him a strange look. “How did you know that? You weren't in our
unit were you?” 

“No, but I was there just the same.” 

“What do you mean you were there? There in Nam?” 

“Yes.” 

“What unit were you with? I don't remember seeing you.” 

“I was not in a unit. I was with Tom. I stayed with Tom.” Andrew
replied. 

“I don't understand how you were with Tom and I never saw you. I don't
understand what you're saying.” 

Andrew continued to smile. “You see; I was his guardian angel.” 

Well smack me between the eyes! “Guardian angel? This is ridiculous! I
now have two strange guys in my office, in the afternoon, during the 
time that I am used to being alone so I can collect my thoughts about 
my work. Both of you are somehow able to open my locked door and know 
things about past friends and now you tell me that you were a guardian 
angel for an Army buddy of mine?” 

Andrew nodded, “That is correct Mr. Durham. I realize it is hard to
understand this, but you must understand that everyone who lives on the 
earth has a guardian angel assigned to him or her when they are born. I 
was assigned to Tom Silvernale. I knew him and was with him his entire 
life.” 

“Ok, where is my guardian angel?” 

“He is around.” John Henry said. 

“This is some sort of joke, right? I'm being ...what do the kids call
it.... oh yes. Punked, I'm being punked right? 

John Henry laughed, “No Grant, you are not being punked. Andrew was with
Tom his whole life. He knows all about Tom from the time he was a baby 
to the time he died.” 

“I didn't know he was dead. When did that happen? I asked. 

Andrew's smile faded, “He died of cancer about two years ago.” 

I had not kept tabs on most of my friends from the war. We seemed to
just drift apart over the years and finally the phone calls, the 
letters and Christmas cards just stopped coming. “I didn't know.” I 
said sadly. 

“Mr. Durham, do you remember the time when your squad was surrounded by
the enemy and there was no way out? It was during the Tet Offensive in 
1968.” 

As he described the incident, I could see the exact incident Andrew was
talking about in my mind. Our unit had wondered into an ambush and 
Charlie had us surrounded. “I lost a lot of friends that day.” 

“How did you get out of there Mr. Durham?” asked Andrew. 

“We had no support so we ran straight through their positions firing and
yelling as we ran. We just hoped for the best. Man, I never ran so fast 
in my life. When we finally stopped, there were only seven of us left 
out of a twelve-man squad.” 

“Were you wounded Mr. Durham?” asked Andrew. 

“No, not a scratch. Tenpenny too. Everyone else had some kind of slight
wound. I do remember that all of us had several holes in our uniforms. 
How they missed us, I'll never know. We were exhausted but were alive. 
Someone must've been watching out for us that day!” 

Andrew smiled, “Precisely!” 

I remember thinking how lucky we were to have escaped. “Wait... are you
saying that you were there and saved us?” 

Andrew explained, “Not only me, but every man had their angel with him.
We have the ability to slightly alter the path of a bullet or other 
life threatening devices. The bullets that went through your clothes 
without hitting your flesh is proof of that. Would you agree?” 

I rubbed my head. It was beginning to ache as I listened to Andrew. “I
guess. We were extremely lucky that day.” 

John Henry explained, “Luck had nothing to do with it. Everyone's
guardian angel knows the exact moment when their charge is supposed to 
die. Until then,they are empowered to protect them. That is, unless the 
person does something deliberate like commit suicide by jumping off a 
building or shooting themselves.” 

I was not convinced yet. “Listen, the story of that skirmish was
reported in the papers. You probably read about it.” 

Andrew leveled his eyes as me, “When you and Tom regained your breath,
you hugged each other. You said, ‘I've never been so scared in all my 
life.” Tom replied, “Me too. Someone must be looking after us. While 
you two were running, I was right behind Tom making the bullets drift 
to one side or the other. I was whispering, yelling actually, telling 
him where to run. It was my responsibility to see him safely through 
all of that.” 

I reflected back to the words that were spoken after we found ourselves
out of harms way. Those were Tenpenny's exact words. I felt a shiver go 
up and down my spine. “Who are you guys?” 

Andrew answered, “I told you. I was Tom's guardian angel.” 

“If you were his guardian angel then why did he die of cancer? Couldn't
you have prevented that?” 

John Henry responded, “It was his time Grant. You see each man has his
time appointed to him. When he or she is supposed to die, it happens. 
The method of death is important too.” 

“The method... why?” 

“Sometimes death itself is a test. Some who develop a disease and die
slowly are tried the most. Others who are in an accident die very 
quickly.” 

I became indignant. “Tested for what?” 

“For the future.” 

“Who's future,” I asked. “What kind of a future does a dead man have?
Oh, that's right.  We go to heaven and live for eternity playing harps 
and floating on clouds, right?” 

Andrew shook his head. “No Mr. Durham. We don't have harps and halos. We
do not float around on clouds and no; we do not earn our wings every 
time a bell rings! We have serious work to do here on earth.” 

“Wait a minute! You said we...we what? We...as in you were once a living
person?” 

John Henry said, “That is exactly right Grant. All guardians were once
humans. We lived on earth, had families and friends and lived out our 
lives. When we died, we were given responsibilities to look after 
others on earth. Our mission was to keep them safe from harm and to 
teach and persuade them to do good things. We try to inspire them to be 
honest and trustworthy, to be kind and loving to their spouse and 
children and to set good examples to their fellow man.” 

I stood up behind my desk and folded my arms in front of me, trying to
make some sense out of what they were telling me. If what they said was 
true, I was standing in the same room with a couple of dead guys. How 
could they be dead? They didn't look any different than anyone else, 
yet they knew too much about me and about Tenpenny. 

Andrew continued. “I know it sounds a little bit strange Mr. Durham. But
believe me when I say it is true. It is a great thing to know that no 
one on earth is alone. Sometimes men feel they are all alone in the 
universe, but it is not so. Man was not sent to earth to be alone and 
to fail. We were sent to live,be happy, learn and love. That is what 
life is all about Mr. Durham.” 

I was dumbfounded. I believed God was dead or he did not exist. Yet they
were telling me that everything has a purpose and a reason. “If what 
you are telling me is true, why is there so much suffering in the world 
if we were sent here to be happy, to love and learn?” 

John Henry replied, “That is your real question, is it not?” 

“Yes,” I replied slowly. “It doesn't make sense. The world is tearing
itself apart. In the name of religion, we have had many wars and 
millions killed. We have terrorists that kill anybody that does not 
subscribe to their belief in God. Hundreds of years ago, the Crusaders 
invaded the Holy Land and in the name of Christ, they waged war on 
others. The Jews and Arabs have been killing each other for centuries 
all in the name of their god. There seems to be an awful lot of 
suffering and death in the name of God.” 

John Henry spoke softly now. “Grant, when man was first placed on this
earth, he was given the greatest gift that exists in all the universe. 
The gift of choice! Man has been free to choose his path. The world is 
a result of those choices. God will not interfere. Cannot interfere. If 
he were to do so, he would cease to be God.” 

I was lost. “I don't understand what you're saying.” 

“Perhaps another Guardian can help you understand the differences in
lives that are led.” John Henry said. 

Andrew looked at John Henry and gave a slight nod. He stood and said,
“It has been a great pleasure to meet you Mr. Durham. It is not often 
we get the privilege of being seen and talk directly to a mortal.” 

I gave a fake smile, “I'm sure it is.” He smiled as he turned to leave,
but this time he did not open the door. He simply walked through it and 
disappeared. 

“Whoa! What is that?” I yelled as I sat down hard in my chair. 

John Henry explained, “When we first came into this room we used the
door so as not to frighten you. You see your reaction now. Imagine what 
you would have done if I just walked through your office door.” 

I sat there staring at the door. I shifted my gaze to John Henry who
just sat there with that dumb smile on his face. He looked as if he had 
a great secret that he was hiding from me. Finally I spoke. “What did 
you say before Andrew disappeared?” 

“I said, perhaps another angel can help explain what we were telling
you.” 

“Another angel?” I shook my head as I said, “Sure, why not!” 

The same action was repeated at the door of my office. A shadow seemed
to appear out of nowhere. The locked doorknob turned and another man 
stood in my office. The door shut on its' own and now I face another 
newcomer. Again, he dressed similar to the John Henry and Andrew. This 
one had long blonde hair the reached his shoulders. His pale blue eyes 
were sad looking as if he was weighted down with a heavy burden that he 
had carried for a very long time. He stood by the chair vacated by 
Andrew, but would not sit. There was a heavy silence in the room. I 
waited for someone to speak. John Henry introduced the newcomer. 

“Grant, may I introduce Frederick. Frederick did not smile. He simply
nodded his head to acknowledge the introduction. John Henry continued. 
“Frederick was the guardian angel to a very evil man... Adolf Hitler.” 

Dumbstruck, I quietly said, “Adolf Hitler... are you kidding me?” 

Frederick spoke up, “No Mr. Grant. He is not joking. I really was
Hitler's angel.” He spoke with a slight German accent. “I had the sad 
task of trying to influence him for good.” 

“I don't mean to sound mean or anything, but apparently you didn't do
such a good job.” 

John Henry spoke. “Grant, you have to understand that angels cannot
force someone to live a good life. It is their choice and theirs' 
alone.” 

Frederick continued, “Believe it or not Mr. Durham, Adolf Hitler was not
always evil. As a young boy, he was a normal youth. But, as he grew, 
his mind dwelt on things that turn a man's thoughts to evil ideas. He 
was brilliant. He had a wonderful mind and could envision many 
wonderful things. The First World War soured his outlook on the world. 
He was very patriotic and keenly felt the humiliation of Germany losing 
the war. He entertained thoughts on how to extract revenge for the 
loss.He became driven to that end. 

“I was there from the moment of his birth. He had the potential to be
good and contribute to society in a very positive manner. He was very 
creative. He wanted to be a painter and an architect. But, he was not 
what you call a patient man. When his work was rejected, his mind 
darkened and anger took the place of goodness and virtue. He became 
enraged.” 

As Frederick spoke, I got the distinct feeling that he deeply felt the
hurt of watching the person he was assigned to help through life, 
become one of the most hated men in history. To see the results of his 
behavior throughout the years, end in such misery and destruction. 
Millions had suffered unspeakable horrors. Millions more died as a 
result of his anger and hatred towards others. He was responsible for 
the destruction of an entire continent and because of the war he waged; 
millions were enslaved for decades by communism. The room again was 
plunged into silence for a time. 

John Henry spoke up, “Grant, imagine you were there every minute of his
life. You stood by him and whispered good things to him. You inspired 
him in his artistic works. You agonized over his failures just as he 
agonized over them. You tried to turn his anger to peace and good will. 
The older he gets, the darker his mind. No longer can you influence 
him. You watch over him as he goes to war. You keep him from dying on 
many occasions. His lungs are burned by the mustard gas that was used 
during the war. You help him recover, but when he learns that his 
beloved Fatherland has been defeated in war, the anger rises to the 
surface of his darkening mind. 

“You watch as he conjures up in his mind, dark plans of how he would
change the world. How he would make them all pay for such a 
humiliation. You keep trying to turn his mind to light and 
understanding. He no longer listens to the peaceable things in life. 
Instead, he turns to hate and violence and shuts out the promptings you 
try to give him.” 

“I still don't understand. If a guardian angel is sent to inspire and
teach, why did Hitler still turn out as he did?” 

“It was his choice.” Explained Frederick. “Every person who is born on
this earh inherently knows good from evil. It is something that we are 
all given. Our conscience is instilled in us just like the natural 
instincts given to animals. As life goes on, man will sometimes bury 
what he knows to be good and right deep in his mind. He begins to 
listen to the other side.” 

I of course perked up at that. “The other side... what do you mean, like
the dar-side of the Force?” 

"Not quite, it is The evil side, of course.” John Henry said. “There is
opposites in all things. Good versus evil. The eternal struggle.” 

“The Devil? Is that who you are referring to?” 

Frederick blurted out, “Yes!” 

John Henry spoke up, “What he means is, where you find good, you will
always find the opposite. Again, it is our choice as to whom we listen 
to. Adolf Hitler was no different than anyone else. He was born with 
all the goodness that could be instilled into a person. As his life 
went on, he was faced with choices. The older he got, his choices 
became darker. So dark in fact, that Frederick could not stay with 
him.” 

“But I thought, you guys stayed with people until they died.” 

“There comes a time when a person who has totally given themselves over
to evil that the guardian angel can no longer stay by his side. The 
evil in them is so great; we are not able to stay with them and when a 
person reaches that point, they are totally on their own and wholly 
given up to their own devices. "That is what happened to Adolf Hitler. 
So if I understand you right, Hitler had the potential to be a good 
person but because of his choices, he eventually was left devoid of any 
decency or good and turned totally to evil?” 

“Yes.” Frederick said. 

What a whopper of a story I was hearing. If this Frederick person was
really Adolf Hitler's guardian angel, he had been given a very hard 
task, an almost impossible task at that. As Frederick was relating his 
story, I could see the hurt on his face. So I asked him if he felt 
anyway responsible for Hitler's behavior? “I cannot help but feel that 
I somehow let him down. For a long time I thought I had failed. It 
pains me to relive it, to tell others of how he degenerated into the 
most hated man in your modern history. After all, he was my 
descendant.” 

I shot out of my chair! “His descendant? What the hell are you talking
about?” 

“Most Guardian Angels are assigned to family members." John Henry said. 
"I thought I made that plain to you.” 

“No... you didn't!” John Henry apologized, “I'm sorry Grant, I thought
you understood that. A Guardian Angel is charged to watch over and care 
for the person they are assigned to. Who better to watch over and take 
care of a person than someone of his or her own family? It just makes 
sense. Do you agree?” 

Confused, I stood there not knowing what to say. Finally I said to
Frederick, “You were his grandfather?” 

“Yes, many generations back. I lived during the first century B.C. in
central Europe. Your history calls us the Teutonic Tribes.” 

I turned around with my back to the two visitors. I had to collect my
thoughts. If what they were telling me were true, it completely 
destroyed every cynical thought I have ever had about the world. About 
the evils of the world and about how God did not exist and that he was 
somehow responsible for all the badness that men do to each other or at 
least he was powerless to stop it. I never considered that the evils 
that men do to each other was because of their own choices and that God 
cannot take back what he gave to us.  Because of the choices we have 
made through the ages, we have made the world what it is today. Without 
turning around I quietly said, “I'm sorry for you Frederick. It must 
have been a terrible thing to witness.” 

I heard him mutter, “Thank you Mr. Durham. It took me a long time to get
over it. I am still sad about it, but I have moved on. I have other 
family members that have been good and descent people. I have helped 
some of them lead wonderful lives. That is what sustains me.” 

I looked into his face. His countenance had changed. Instead of shadows
of sadness, his face was bright with happiness. 

“It is time. I must be leaving now.” Frederick said as he turned to go. 

John Henry stood as Frederick walked to the door and then faded away,
just as Andrew had done. When he was gone, John Henry turned to me and 
said. “There is another angel I want you to meet; a female angel. I 
think you will enjoy talking with her.” 

I knew what to expect this time. The same sequence unfolded as it had
three times before, the silhouette outside the door and the turning of 
the knob. But this time, when the door closed on its' own, a woman 
stood before us. She wore a pure white robe with a gold sash tied 
around her waist. She stood very erect with chin held high, almost 
regal. She looked like a queen standing in front of her subjects, yet 
there was no guile in her face, no superior countenance. There was a 
glow about her and the room brightened with her presence. I could see 
her eyes. They were deep blue and the happiest I have ever seen. She 
had long, straight auburn hair that cascaded down her shoulders to the 
middle of her back. I was compelled to stand as she approached the 
desk. Somehow it seemed the proper thing to do. Then she smiled at me. 

As she took the few steps toward the desk, I could see she wore no shoes
or sandals on her feet. Her eyes were fixed on me as she approached, 
never looking at her surroundings. Out of the corner of my eye, I 
thought I saw John Henry give a slight bow when she stopped. 

He introduced her. “Grant, this is Galandra. Galandra, this is Grant
Durham.” 

She continued to smile as she nodded, “How nice to meet you Mr. Durham.”


Never had I seen such beauty. “It is my pleasure to meet you. Please,
call me Grant.” She just smiled. I motioned to the empty chair in front 
of the desk. After she was seated, John Henry and I sat down. The three 
of us sat there in silence Silence filled the room for a moment. I did 
not know what to say, or what question to ask. John Henry sensed the 
awkward moment. “Grant, Galandra was the Guardian to the very first 
woman who ever lived on the earth. 

It took a moment to sink in. “Eve?” 

“Yes.” She said. 

“Eve, of Adam and Eve?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then it's true? I mean, there really was an Adam and Eve?” 

“Most assuredly.” Her voice was soft yet very forceful. Each word
floated on the air, sweet and very clear. “I know the world does not 
believe in them for the most part. At least not anymore.” 

“But how...when?” 

“How did it all happen?” she asked. 

“Yes.” I answered. “It is difficult to believe that one man and one
woman were the parents of all mankind.” 

“Actually, they were the parents of mankind only on this planet. Not the
parents of all mankind in the beginning. That took place long before 
Adam and Eve were on this earth.” 

“Where did it take place?” I asked. 

“In a place far from here. Beyond this galaxy, near the center of all
existence.” 

Still confused. “But John Henry said Guardians were once humans and
lived on this earth. Then they came back to help others, even those of 
their family.” 

“That is correct, but in Eve's case, there was no one who lived on this
earth before she did. So special arrangements had to be made.” 

“Still confused here!” I said. 

She continued. “What you need to understand is that man has always
existed in every time and place. He has always been in some form or 
another. Right now,you are composed of three parts, intelligence, 
spirit and physical. 

“Your intelligence, which is that part of you that has the capability to
think and to reason, was once just a small speck of light floating 
through space...an entity. It had the ability to move, think and to be 
acted upon by outside forces. By natural means, your intelligence was 
put inside a spirit body. Now you had the ability to act upon others 
and later, you spirit body was placed inside a physical body, just as 
you are now. With a physical body you are prepared to learn and to 
experience at a far greater capacity than at any other stage of your 
existence.” 

I was stunned to say the least! I had never heard of such things. “If
all that's true, why don't I remember it?” 

“What sort of test would it be if you remembered everything from before.
How would you learn on your own? Your memory of your former friends and 
experiences were taken away. You gave your permission for this to 
happen of course, and now you must live and experience everything that 
life has to offer, the good and the bad just as you had to live through 
your spirit body's experiences, which I might add, were extensive.” 

“You're talking about reincarnation?” 

She shook her head. “Do not be absurd. You can only be physically born
once.” 

“But you said, I had a spirit body and lived through that experience.
Was I born the same way?” 

“Sort of.” She nodded her head. “That birth was for your spirit
existence.” 

What she was telling me was beyond my comprehension and so I returned to
the first subject. “Let's get back to Adam and Eve.” 

“Alright.” That smile of hers never left her face. 

Thinking that maybe I could ensnare her with her own words, I asked.
“Since you said that we can only be physically born once and Adam and 
Eve were the first people on earth, how did they get here?” 

“Mr. Durham, you have read stories about the pioneers that when they
left their homes, they took with them things that would help them in 
their new life, like seeds, plants and tools. Well, it was the same for 
God. They were physically born on another earth and transplanted here 
to this earth.” 

I was outraged, “That's impossible!” I shouted. 

There was an awkward silence in the small office. Both visitors just sat
looking at me as I tried to grapple with what was just said. He must 
have sensed my consternation when he asked, “Grant, why is it 
impossible? Do you think that this tiny earth is the only one of its' 
kind out there in space? Man, for all his knowledge and abilities, 
still refuses to believe that there are other places that are just like 
this planet. Do you realize that from our planet we can see billions of 
stars? Around most of those stars are planetary systems that we cannot 
see and among those planets. Is it so inconceivable that there are 
other planets with intelligent live inhabiting them?” 

“It has never been proven that there is life outside of our own world.” 

“None the less,” he said, “It is true. God takes of the materials of the
universe and organizes those materials into earths. Even he cannot 
create something out of nothing. The materials are there. It just takes 
some force to act on those elements and to organize them into worlds.” 
I thought I had him now. “If what you say is true, the Bible says that 
God created the earth in six days. Isn't that a little absurd?” I 
looked at Galandra as I said ‘absurd', she didn't move or stop smiling. 


“Yes it is absurd. Not even God could organize the materials in six
twenty-four periods and have the earth fit for human habitation.” 

Now I was excited. “I thought so. The Bible has it all wrong then.” 

It was John Henry's turn to smile, “No. It is correct.” 

“But you just said that not even God could do it.” 

“I said that not even God could do it in six twenty-four hour periods.
God's days are not our days. When the earth was formed, it was not in 
its' present location. It was originally organized somewhere else in 
the Universe, next to that place where God resides.” “And where would 
that be?” 

“A place that you cannot comprehend as of yet. Someday you will. Time is
different throughout the Universe. What is one day here could be a 
thousand years somewhere else. Each planet belongs to a certain order 
of star. The star belongs to a higher order of time. So as you approach 
the center of the Universe,one day there could equal a thousand or more 
years here on this earth. The natural elements were organized for this 
earth and through natural processes, it was prepared for animals and 
man.” 

This was incredible. I was now being told that the earth was not even
created in the area where it is now and time is different throughout 
the Universe. So in a condescending manner I asked, “So how did it get 
here?” 

Galandra spoke. “That is part of my story Mr. Durham.” 

“Oh... well, please continue.” This was moving beyond absurd. It was now
bordering on ridiculous. 

“I know you do not believe what you have just been told, but it is true
nonetheless. Be that as it may. I am here to answer your question and I 
will proceed.” 

For some odd reason, I felt ashamed that I had offended this lovely
woman by my comment, I muttered, “I beg your pardon. Please continue.” 

She smiled as she continued, “I lived on an earth very similar to this
one, but I was fortunate to live in a time of great peace and 
prosperity. A thousand years of living and learning with no war or 
destruction. I was approached by one in authority and asked to perform 
a great deed. I was to give birth to a very special daughter. A 
daughter who was blessed to be the first woman to people another earth, 
just like the earth I had lived on during my mortal life. I was 
instructed that the moment she was born, I was to feed her a very 
special and powerful liquid that would cause her to be immortal and 
live forever. Blood did not run through her veins after eating this 
liquid for in her veins ran a pure white substance that caused her to 
be immortal. She could not die and she could not be hurt, she was 
perfect physically and mentally. Her spirit had now gained her body. 
She and I were taken to a special world where I raised her and taught 
her as she grew to full adulthood and trained and educated in what 
would be required of her when she was placed on this earth. It was the 
same for Adam. In fact Eve and Adam grew up together and fell in love. 
When they were old enough to understand, they gave their consent to be 
the first people on this new earth and populate it. 

“Once the earth was ready for humans to occupy it, the man Adam and his
mate Eve were brought to a place that had been especially prepared for 
them. You know it as the Garden of Eden.” 

“Yes, the Garden. I've always wanted to know where it was.” 

“Its location is not important, but what took place when they arrived
is. You see, Adam was placed first on the earth. He was made lord of 
the earth and for a time, he was alone. Then Eve was placed with Adam. 
Together they learned about the garden. Adam even named all the animals 
that came before him. They were happy and contented with there life. 
However, they were not sent here to simply live a leisurely life in the 
Garden. They were given two conflicting commandments from God when He 
placed them there. 

“Why would God give them conflicting commandments?” I asked. 

“Because they had to choose for themselves. Mister Durham, that is one
of God's greatest gifts to his children. In the very beginning of our 
existence, we were given the freedom of choice. We have always had it 
and it can never be taken away. God cannot take it, He will not take it 
no matter what we choose. That is what life is all about.” 

“What were the two choices?” 

“Within the Garden there were two trees. Do you remember what they were
Mister Durham?” 

I thought for a moment then the memory of it came back to me. “Yes, the
two trees were the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the other was 
the Tree of Life. Right?” I said proudly. 

Galandra smiled, “Yes. That is correct. The Tree of Life had the same
chemicals in the fruit that I fed to my baby Eve, the one that made her 
immortal. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil had a chemical 
contained in the fruit that would change the pure white substance 
flowing in their veins. It would change it into blood. Yes, blood is 
the substance that makes humans mortal and subject to death, pain and 
hurt. “So what were the commandments?” 

“God told them that they could eat of every tree in the Garden except
the Tree Knowledge of Good and Evil. He told them that if they ate it, 
they would die that day, but He also said it was their choice because 
He had given them the power of choice. 

“He next commanded them to multiply and populate the earth, but since
procreation is a blood act, they could have no children. The only way 
they could have blood flowing through their veins was to eat of the 
forbidden fruit and if they did, they would die.” 

“Wait! The story says they ate the forbidden fruit but they did not die
that day. What happened?” 

“Actually they did, but that is a little ahead of my story.” 

“Sorry.” I said. 

“Throughout the Universe and all of God's creations, there exists an
opposite to everything. Good and bad, happiness and sadness, life and 
death. There was one spirit-child of God who rebelled during the spirit 
life. His name was Lucifer the Light Bearer. He was a great and noble 
person once and had voice in the great councils of heaven. He organized 
a rebellion and one third of all the spirits of men who were destined 
for your earth, followed him. He swore he would destroy what God had 
built and become greater than God himself. A mighty war was fought and 
he and his forces were defeated. 

“As punishment, he and his followers were never to receive a physical
body, but to be a spirit for all eternity. They were driven out of 
heaven and allowed to roam this earth. He is now known as Satan or the 
Devil. He thought he could destroy the work of God by getting Adam and 
Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, but it was all part of the plan.” 

This was truly unbelievable. I was hearing things that absolutely made
no sense to me and yet, it gave me comfort when hearing it. “I ... 
don't know if I can believe what you are telling me.” 

John Henry spoke, “In your heart, you know what is being said is the
truth. You have known the truth forever. You have just forgotten it. 
Listen to the rest of the story.” 

“Please continue.” I said to Galandra. 

“Satan came to Eve and enticed her to eat of the forbidden fruit. At
first, Eve refused. She was going to obedient to God's commandments. 
Satan explained that she would not die that day, but that she would be 
as God, knowing good from evil. Eve also realized that if they were 
going populate the earth, she would have to eat and become mortal. 

“The world would have you believe that she was tricked into
disobedience, but she was not. With great courage and strength, she 
made the conscious decision to eat the fruit. In her spirit life, she 
promised God that she would take upon herself a mortal body and bring 
other spirit children into the world and clothe them with a physical 
body and become the mother of all mortals on the earth. 

“No.... she was not tricked or deceived. She knew exactly what she was
doing and why. She went to Adam and convinced him to eat of the fruit 
as well. As a result of their transgression, they were both told to 
leave the Garden of Eden and begin their life as mortals being subject 
to death and pain and so learning what life was for.” 

I asked a question that had haunted me for many years, “Are we punished
for Adam and Eve's fall?” 

“Only in the sense that they brought mortality to this earth. You and
everyone on earth owe them a great debt of gratitude!   If they had not 
eaten the fruit, you would not be here nor anybody else.” 

“So how did the earth move through the universe to the place where it is
now?” 

“When your first parents fell, the earth fell with them. It was
relocated away from the place that was near unto the throne of God. It 
fell through space and came to rest in its' present location. The 
Earth's reckoning of time changed as well, instead of revolving around 
a very immense star, it now revolved around another of lesser 
magnitude. The rotation of the earth around this new sun was divided 
into twenty-four periods or hours. 

“Each twenty-four hours represented a day unto the inhabitants of this
earth. That is why scientists of your day cannot calculate the age of 
the Earth. They proceed from a false assumption that time has always 
been a constant. Their calculations are hollow because their 
calculations are from the new twenty-four hour days and not the 
original time periods. It took one thousand years of modern time for 
the earth to rotate around its old sun. In other words, one thousand 
years is but one day to God and so when God told Adam and Eve that if 
they ate the forbidden fruit they would die in that day, He was 
correct. Adam lived less than one thousand years and so he died in that 
day.” 

I was stunned! I could not imagine anything stranger than what I was
hearing; yet it somehow spoke peace to my mind. If what Galandra was 
telling me was true, it answered a lot questions that not only myself 
had asked, but many questions that theologians and people had been 
asking for centuries. “So it was all planned out, Eve partaking of the 
fruit, the creation of the earth and the reckoning of time. It was not 
by chance or some ‘Big Bang'. It was all planned out and executed.” 

John Henry explained. “There never was original sin. God himself married
Adam and Eve. The scriptures call Eve his wife. They had many children 
over the next nine hundred years. They had more than just Cain and Abel 
you know. In fact, Cain and Able were born after some twenty other 
children. If not, where did Cain meet his wife? Their children were of 
pure blood so when brothers and sisters married, it was the right and 
proper thing to do. Bringing children into this world is the greatest 
endeavor for all humans to do. Marriage between a man and woman is for 
the purpose of bringing the spirit bodies of all God's children to this 
earth to receive a physical body and to learn by their own mistakes the 
good from the evil.” 

“But why does God let such evil run unchecked in the world? How could a
loving God allow the terrible things that take place on this earth to 
continue?” 

Galandra spoke up. “Remember that I told you that He gave unto men their
freedom of choice? It is men who bring such terrible things into the 
world. It is men who bring war and disease into the world. It is men, 
by their own choice, that make the world such a terrible place. God 
will not interfere. He cannot interfere or God would cease to be God! 
It is not God who does these things to men. It is men who do these 
things to men and they will be held accountable for all their evil 
actions. For each child that is abused or murdered, the perpetrators of 
such foul deeds will be punished beyond anyone's imagination for their 
foul deeds.  The innocent who suffered at the hands of others will 
forget the pain and suffering and will be healed. 

“The one's left behind after the death of a loved one suffering
needlessly. There is such joy and happiness when one passes. They 
instantly forget the circumstances of their death. They are brought to 
meet members of their family and loved ones, including pets. Did you 
know that?” 

I was dumbfounded. “No, I did not know about the pets. I have heard that
humans are received into a state of Grace though. I never knew exactly 
what that meant.” 

You can imagine what my thoughts were as I was told all of this profound
information. The world blames God as if He was responsible for all the 
terrible events that take place on a daily basis. I never realized that 
the blame was on us, all of us. We are the ones that create war. We are 
the ones that impose unjust laws and exact unjust punishments. We have 
created the poor and uneducated through our own greed. Society was and 
is responsible for the creation of our lives. We make our lives what 
they are by what choices we make throughout out lives. 

Galandra interrupted my thoughts as she stood and announced, “I must
leave now. My time here is over. I hope your questions have been 
answered Mr. Durham. You have been given a very rare privilege. But out 
of the knowledge you have received this day, you must understand that 
God knows you as an individual. I know this to be a fact. He has known 
you for a very long time and is mindful of your needs.” 

I was speechless, I had been presented with some very difficult concepts
and just could not fathom them however and it just felt right... 
comforting. I stood out of respect for Galandra as she turned and 
walked towards the door, but quickly faded from view before she reached 
the door The silence in the room was deafening and I did not know what 
to say. 

Mercifully, John Henry spoke. “You have been told much this afternoon.” 

“To say the least.” I replied. 

“I don't know. It is still too much to swallow.” 

“I know it is a lot to comprehend, but I have a feeling that in time,
you will come to understand it all.” With that, he turned to leave. 

I walked out from behind my desk. “I thought you said I would meet four
guardian angels.” 

John Henry turned as he said, “And so you have.” 

Then it hit me. “You are the first?” 

He nodded, “Yes. I was the first. Now you have met all four of us.” 

“But you have not told me who you were put in charge of.” 

“Oh... I thought I mentioned that.” 

“No, you didn't. Who was it?” I asked. 

He leveled his kindly eyes at me and said, “You.” 

Somehow I was not surprised by his answer and said so. “I thought so. I
don't know how I knew, but I knew.” 

He smiled. “Perhaps, you recognize my voice.” 

“Perhaps.” I had a much bigger question for John Henry, but was afraid
to ask. He must have sensed it because what he said next, left no doubt 
about his ability to read my mind. 

“Actually that is two questions.” 

“What?” I said. 

“You actually have two questions you want to ask me. The first is; who
am I? Very well, I am your fifth-great-grandfather.” 

“My grandfather?” 

“Yes. I lived over four hundred years ago in England and came over the
ocean to what we called the New World. I helped settle this country.” 

I was dumfounded! “I am at a loss for words. What do you say to your
fifth-great-grandfather?” 

In a kindly manner, he said, “You do not need to say anything to me. I
am here for you. I have always been here and will continue to be there 
for you.” With that, the realization that if he was my ancestor and had 
been with me all my life, I had some rather embarrassing episodes that 
he had probably witnessed. “I suppose I have done some things that made 
you disappointed in me.” 

He paused a moment before replying. “As we all have done Grant. Do not
dwell on those things. I have seen much worse among your fellow men. By 
having those experiences, hopefully we learn so that we do not repeat 
them. You have learned much in this life and you still have much to 
learn.” 

I said sheepishly, “It's still embarrassing. What was my second
question?” 

John Henry took a step towards me. “You want to know about your wife.
Your sweet Janet.” 

I could not hold his gaze any longer and lowered my eyes to the floor.
“I am angry she died and left me.” 

“I know.” He said. “She was brave and very courageous right to the end.”


“I could not bear to see her suffer so. I cursed God for making her go
through that. I was... am still very angry for what he did.” 

“Grant... after what you have heard today, do you really think God did
that to punish her or you? No, He does not work that way. Before you 
were born, you were given choices as to how you would live. How you 
would be taught and in which manner you would learn. There are two ways 
we can learn during our mortal lives. We can be born and go through 
life in an ordinary way without much happening to us, or we can choose 
to undergo certain tests that make us learn faster and much quicker. 
Some choose to have a disease that forces them to be humble and 
appreciative of the good things they have in life. Some choose to have 
a far worse debilitating ailment that eventually takes their life. 
Janet chose for herself and she was valiant in her choice.” 

“You mean to tell me, that my wife chose to have cancer? She chose to
die and leave me? What about my choice? What about my desires to have a 
wife and family and not be left here by myself?” 

“Grant, you and Janet made that choice and you agreed to it.” 

I nearly collapsed as I heard his words. I stepped back and sat down
hard on the edge of the desk to keep myself from falling. “We agreed to 
that?” 

“Yes. Take a look for yourself if you wish.” 

With that, he reached into his suite breast pocket and withdrew a folded
piece of paper. He carefully unfolded it and laid it on the desk. 
“Here, read for yourself.” 

I leaned over and in the dim light saw a neatly hand-written document.
He pointed to a paragraph about three-quarters of the way down the 
page. As I read the eloquent words which described the events that 
would happen in Janet's and mine lives, the words cancer and death 
loomed up at me. It said that she had chosen to have a terminal disease 
and that I had elected to stay in mortality. When I got to the end of 
the page, I went to turn the page, but John Henry said not to touch the 
page. 

You cannot read further Grant. It is forbidden, but”.... he took the
pages and flipped to the end and held it up for me to see. “There, at 
the end of the document. Do you see your signature and that of 
Janet's?” 

I indeed saw my signature and next to it was that of Janet. He took the
document and carefully folded it and placed it back in his pocket. “You 
cannot see anymore of it because it describes the rest of your life. 
The life you chose.” 

I was again unable to speak. Never had I ever imagined that we had any
say in the way we would live and die. I now knew that nothing was left 
to chance, that we had a say in what our lives were to be like. I 
understood that we had voice in those decisions and that we alone were 
responsible for how we lived up to those plans. 

“I think you understand now. With the plan for life that you made, you
asked me to be your guardian and to help you live that life and I 
agreed to it. In fact, on the next page of that document there is a 
paragraph that tells of this very day. You asked and received 
permission for me to come here today. I am only carrying out your 
wishes.” 

I just sat there and stared down at the floor as he spoke. Life suddenly
had meaning and a purpose. I now knew that we were not pieces of wood 
cast adrift on the ocean. We are worth something. Each and every one of 
us has a purpose in life and we have been given help from above to 
reach that purpose. John Henry finally turned towards the door again. 
“I hope you have learned some things today Grant. I hope your questions 
have been answered and your mind is at peace.” 

“Will you continue to be there with me?” 

He smiled and said he was still my guardian and that he would always be
there as long as I continued to struggle for good. “I will be there for 
you. After all, you were there for me.” 

“What does that mean?” I asked. 

He smiled as he said, “That is another story, one that happened a long
time ago in the spirit existence. I cannot go in to it now, but someday 
you will understand.” 

With that, he slowly dissolved from my view and the last thing I saw of
him was his smile and a twinkle in his eye. “Goodbye.” I said. He 
continued to smile and disappeared. 

**** 

Now, having told you this story you probably think that I am either
crazy or have made the entire thing up. Well, this I will tell you. I 
made it up! 

This whole story was a result of a dream I had a few nights ago. At the
time, it seemed so real as dreams sometimes do. Over time, it began to 
fade in my memory so I wrote it down. 

After reading it myself, I find that it makes me feel good. It gives me
peace of mind. Perhaps as you read the story, it made you feel better 
about yourself and your life. I am not a religious person, but this 
certainly sounded interesting to me and I thought I would share it with 
you. 

Next week, I will have my regular column for my readers. Thanks for
reading my story and may you find peace in your life. I know I have in 
mine. 

THE END 


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