IF HEAVEN

IF HEAVEN

If heaven was an hour it'd be twilight

When the fireflies start dancin on the lawn

And suppers on the stove and mammas laughin

And everybodys workin' day is done

If heaven was a town, it would be my town

On a summer day in 1965

And everything I wanted was out there waiting

And everyone I loved was still alive

Don't cry a tear for me now baby

There comes a time we must all say goodbye

And if that's what heavens made of

You know I'm not afraid to die

"If Heaven"

By

Andy Griggs

I went to church today. First time in a long while.

When I was kid, I was in church all the time it seemed. I couldn't wait for summertime and vacation bible school, at The Thomastown Baptist Church.

Thomastown wasn't big enough to be called a town I thought. It was more a community. Small two lane roads, curving through the wooded Mississippi countryside. You would pass a house or little farm every mile or so and then there was the four way stop sign. That was Thomastown.

There was a little gas station, a store, a post office, no bigger than a coffee hut and a church. Old men would sit out in front of the store on benches and gossip all day, it was the "center of town".

My granny lived in the country about 10 miles from Thomastown. Sunday's we'd get up early, feed the chickens and get ready for church, I can still hear the Bob Whites and Whiperwheels singing in the early morning.

My biggest worry then was whose team I was going to be on for Red Rover at church. I was a chunky little kid and everybody wanted me on their team. One of the few perks of being a big kid.

I loved church back then. Somwhere in my life's path, I stopped going and I don't really know when that happened. I went today because I needed something, something to fill this emptiness I have in the center of my body.

It was good to see the smiling faces of the people. It was good to see the kids and my mamma laughing and singing and it was good to hear the Pastor's sermon.

It was also good for my spirit I must admit, but there was something that wasn't there, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

After church I was shaking hands and hugging folks, as I made my way toward the door, right then I realized what was missing.

No one yelled "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Joey right over!" Now that would be heaven.

Maybe next Sunday.