Bible Reading: Revelation 21:22-27

Willow swallowed hard. Ever since Dad had helped her set up her newspaper route accounts on the computer, she worked diligently to keep them up to date. But now she hesitated as her finger hovered over the delete key. The account on the computer screen was that of one of her customers--Mrs. Trembley. The name glowed with a special brightness--or so it seemed to Willow. As she stared at it, she tried hard not to cry. "Mrs. Elizabeth C. Trembley, 288 Fox Street, Faris, Iowa," Willow murmured. She swallowed again and then punched the key. Mrs. Trembley's name and address disappeared, and the screen returned to the program's home page. The account was gone forever--just like Mrs. Trembley.

A tear slid down Willow's cheek as Dad came into the room. "Willow, what's wrong?" he asked.

Willow gulped. "I erased Mrs. Trembley." She gestured toward the computer as she brushed a tear away with the back of her hand. "I feel so sad about it, Dad. She was the nicest person on my paper route."

Dad nodded and put a hand on Willow's shoulder. Mrs. Trembley had been a real friend to Willow, but the kind elderly lady had died of a heart attack a couple weeks earlier.

"When I pushed the delete button, I felt like I was erasing Mrs. Trembley's life," Willow said faintly.

"You told me Mrs. Trembley was a Christian, didn't you?" asked Dad.

Willow nodded. "She said she trusted in Jesus when she was a little girl."

"Then Mrs. Trembley is safe with the Lord," Dad said. "Her name is written in the Book of Life--God's record of all those who have been saved by Jesus and will live with Him forever--and it will never be deleted." Dad gave Willow a hug. "You deleted Mrs. Trembley's name from the computer, but no one will ever erase her name from God's records. She's with Jesus now, and one day He will raise her from the dead."

"I know." Willow smiled as she thought about that. She sighed, but she felt a bit better. "I'm glad. And I know I'll see Mrs. Trembley again someday, because my name is written in God's book too."

–Carol J. Brookman