Heaven

One summer day when I was a little boy I was sitting in our apartment with my big sister, Maureen.  I asked her, "Maureen, where is heaven?"  "Why do you ask?" she queried.  "You are not going there anyway."  Ignoring this cold response, I continued, "Mommy says that heaven is where God lives."  "Yes, this is true.  God lives in heaven with all the people who were good little boys and girls."  "I'm good, aren't I?" I questioned.  "NO, you are not good.  That is why you will have to go to purgatory and be punished."  "What is purgatory?" I asked.  "It is where you go when you die for not picking up your toys when I tell you."  "I pick them up!" I countered.  "Yes, but only after I ask you and then ask again, and then threaten to punish you."  But she wasn't finished.  "This is why I will go right to heaven when I die.  My purgatory is here on earth taking care of you instead of being with my girlfriends."  I pondered that for a moment.  Then the thought came to me, "So, I am helping you get to heaven by being bad, right?"  "Hmm," was my speechless sister's response.  For her to be speechless was a miracle.  So maybe being bad is not all that bad if it helps other people to do their suffering here on earth.  If you have someone who exasperates you, makes you crazy at times, does not obey, they may be a gift in your life too.  They are getting you off some purgatory time.  Jesus traveled around and taught people like that.  We Christians are supposed to follow Jesus.  So we all need some people who make us crazy at times.  You might even have married one, or birthed one, or work with one.  Being bad is not all bad.  Since Maureen is in purgatory, I guess I was not bad enough!