HAPPY BIRTHDAY LONG! (Yes, it is a story...)

It had to be a dream, he thought.

This couldn't be real. The sun was too perfectly warm, the beach too nice. The waves were just the right temperature. This was too close to heavenly.

So he closed his eyes tightly, expecting to be greeted by his ceiling and the comforts of his room when he opened them again. Yet, he was still at the beach, within the setting of a perfect evening.

Shrugging, he started walking along the lines of the tides, meditatively and contemplatively. He just walked quietly, the sounds of the waves his comforting companion.

Then, as he turned around, he realized he was being followed. He stopped and saw all his friends. They were following him but all stopped as he stopped. They were standing separately, too, silently. He tried to walk back to reach them, but it felt like he was running in place, never to hug or embrace his friends. He was sad, because he thought he was alone, even when his friends were there.

So he kept on walking, and they kept on following him.

After a few miles of walking, he came across a boat that was tied to the beach. An old man was sitting by a booth and greeted him.

"Hello there, friend!" the old man said. "You're supposed to take this boat!"

He was confused. Where was he? he asked the old man, and where did the boat go?

"Well," the old man started to reply. "This boat leads to heaven, and you're supposed to go." The old man smiled convincingly.

This was perfect! He's going to heaven! He felt a surge of relief when he realized his life's work had led him here. Before he got aboard, however, he saw his friends. Were they coming too?

"I'm sorry," the old man said. "You have to leave your friends here. They really aren't invited."

This didn't make sense. His friends definitely belonged in heaven too! He couldn't imagine going anywhere without knowing his friends were within contact.

Then he stopped and discerned. He had to decide. Stay back with his friends or not go to heaven?

The old man didn't seem to care too much when informed of his decision.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you," the old man said as the boat left.

He was sad, but at least he was in the company of his friends, at least he knew he had friends. No matter how silent they were, he knew they were his friends.

So he kept on walking, his friends following behind him in a strangely loyal way.

Before he knew it, he came across an old hut where another old man lived.

"Hey, there," the old man greeted. "Welcome to heaven."

He was confused again. Didn't the boat just leave for heaven?

"Oh no," the new old man laughed. "That was Satan trying to tempt you into hell."

Why didn't someone stop him? It's not fair to innocent people walking by to be tricked.

"Well," the old man replied. "We don't mind too much. We want to see who would choose their friends over themselves. That way, we can weed out the selfish people. People who make it here are the ones who really belong in heaven."

And with that, all his friends ran up to him, hugging him and laughing and celebrating.

And Long knew, like he always did, that heaven wasn't where someone else told you to be, heaven was where you choose to be with God. And where better can you find God than in your friends?

"Where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them." - Matthew 18:20

Happy birthday, Long! God's there with you always =)