The one who had once been called Jerry stood on the riverbank in awe.

Towering over him was the largest tree he had ever seen. In his moment on earth, those fifty-six years of life already mostly faded from his memory, he'd once made a trip to California to see the tallest tree in the world, a 350-foot redwood. This tree made that one look like a sapling. Jerry had to turn his head to see both sides of its enormous base, though he was standing fifty feet away from it.

The tree of life.

Pure water gushed through the center of the tree, roaring as it rushed out of the golden city into the green expanse. The ripples glistened as the river slowed into a peaceful current. Jerry had seen the clear waters of Grand Bahama Island, but that was mud runoff compared to this.

The river of life.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Jerry turned around. A woman sat on the grass behind him. She looked like she'd been there for some time. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you. How long have you been sitting there?"

She shrugged. "Seven or eight thousand years, I guess? Maybe a billion. Nobody really keeps track of time anymore. No point, really."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Jerry tried not to stare at the letters shining on the woman's forehead. They were written in a language he'd never seen, but somehow he knew it was the name of Jesus Christ. He touched his own forehead and felt the delicate calligraphy there. Jerry shut his eyes and thought about the Name on his forehead. Praise You, Lord, for making me free at last!

"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked.

"Is it obvious?"

"Yes, but that's all right." With a sweep of her arm, she displayed the lush fields, the river, the tree, and the spires of the shining city. "This place has that effect on everyone. It's the first time any of us has seen perfection."

Jerry nodded, watching a group of swimmers jump, laughing, into the river of life.

"Where will you be working?" she asked.

"At the Northwest Gate of the City."

"Oh, that's quite an honor. You must've done well in your Opportunity."

"My what?"

"Your Opportunity," she said, smiling in the even glow of the day. "You know: your life, your time on earth."

"Oh. I guess I never really thought of it as an opportunity."

"Well, when else were you going to have the chance to determine what your position would be for eternity? You certainly can't do it once you get here."

Jerry blinked at her a few times. "You mean that's what my life was all about?"

"Sure. It was your Test. Your placement exam for all this. But let's not talk about that now. I want to show you something."

The woman led him toward the tree of life. Suddenly they were high in its branches. Jerry clutched a nearby limb, but the woman laughed. "You can't fall, you know. Jesus undid the Fall."

Jerry looked at her curiously.

"What, you thought we wouldn't have humor in heaven?" She winked at him and plucked a succulent-looking yellow fruit from the tree. "These are great." She took a bite and handed it to him. "November's fruit is my favorite. This is where I work, up here in the tree."

Jerry examined the fruit, thinking of another one plucked long ago.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "This fruit was never forbidden."

From his vantage point, Jerry scanned the massive wall surrounding the new Jerusalem, trying to pick out the shimmering gate where he would be working.

"You see that man up there?" the woman asked, pointing to another branch.

Jerry finally noticed that there were people in the tree with them, hundreds of people moving confidently about the branches, harvesting fruit and plucking leaves. "Which one?"

"The one with the basket. See him?"

"Oh, yeah. What about him?"

"He really did well in his Opportunity. Look at him. He's one of the chief gardeners supervising the care of the tree of life. You don't get that kind of job without doing something right in the Test."

"Wow," Jerry said, biting into the fruit, "was he a celebrity or president or something? No, what am I saying? I bet he was a missionary to Africa or India or Outer Mongolia. He was, wasn't he?"

She shook her head.

"Come on, give. How'd he do it? How'd he get that great job?"

"He was a night watchman at a warehouse."

Jerry almost slipped. "He what?"

"That's right. And he was an usher at his church. He visited the elderly in rest homes. And he coached peewee soccer."

"You mean God actually thought any of that was important?"

"He was a loving husband until his wife died, after fifty-two years of marriage."

Jerry waited to hear the real reason for his prominent assignment.

"And he was a giving father. He set a great example for his children and was always there for them."

He opened his hands. "And?"

"And what?"

"What else did he do? What are you hiding? He did something really big, didn't he? I bet he was martyred for his faith, right? Why are you looking at me like that?"

She patted him on the shoulder. "You want to know the most important thing he did? He loved Jesus with all his heart. Even though he didn't make any headlines on earth, Jesus smiled as He watched him cheerfully fulfill his purpose on earth, his Opportunity. Come on, I'll take you to the Northwest Gate so you can see what you'll be doing."

The one who had once been called Jerry took the woman's outstretched hand. "Well, okay, I guess." They perched on the limb of the tree of life. "What will I be doing?"

"Greeting people who hope they made the most of their Opportunity."

What will you be doing 5.6 million years from now? Don't you think that heaven would be just a little bit boring if we didn't have anything to do forever? Lots of people talk about going to heaven, but few give thought to what they will be doing for those millions of years. Seems to me that when we get to heaven, our first words shouldn't be, "Yippee, I made it. Now what?"

Doesn't God have more to say about heaven than the fact that the streets are gold and the gates are pearl? Does the Bible give us any information about what will occur in eternity? You might be surprised to find out how much God has revealed to us.

If you are searching for a reason to live, then you have come to the right place. What I am going to share with you will revolutionize your understanding of why God placed you here on earth. God has an exciting plan mapped out for eternity future. He offers you the Opportunity, through your life on earth, to be part of that plan.

The Creator of the universe designed you with a special purpose in mind. He has wonderful things in store for you, both in this life and the next. Now open your heart, and let's find out what they are. Your reason for living is about to change, forever.

Introduction

Part 1: THE MEANING OF OUR EARTHLY EXISTENCE

Part 2: A GLIMPSE INTO ETERNITY FUTURE

Part 3: PREPARING FOR THE NEXT LIFE

Conclusion: The Riddle—What is the most important thing you can do with your life?

APPENDIX: 265 New Testament Verses Pertaining to Eternity—This lists over 265 New Testament verses pertaining to eternity

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