The Descent

"How long are you going down there for?" another little soul says to me. She's sitting at the screen beside mine.

I shrug my shoulders, and reply "How long are you going down there for?" She pauses for a moment and then tells me that she's not really sure she wants to do a 'real' visit. So she might just stay for a few weeks or, even, a few days.

I look back to the screen in front of me. I'm filling out a series of questions that will define my journey. There are a bunch of us here. Little souls that have graduated, and are ready to descend. The room is white and circular, and all of us are sitting in front of computer screens that line the circumference of the room.

The indigo sky swirls around us as sunlight and other positive energies dance in the atmosphere. I take a moment and inspect my surroundings. I've never been in this particular wing of the institution before. The building is large and dome-like, but the walls are transparent.

I look around at some of my classmates; most of them are absorbed in answering their questions. This is a big day for us. The day we choose what type of journey we want to have on Earth.

I look back to my screen. How long do I want to go down there for? I've always had trouble understanding "time". I was never very good at wrapping my head around it in school. So I raise my hand. One of the Angels walks over and puts her hand on my shoulder.

"Yes," she says placidly.

I crank my head to meet her gaze, and say "I don't know how long to go down there for". I'm a little embarrassed.

She smiles, strokes my hair gently, and bends over me to look at my screen. "May I?" she asks, as she goes to save my program so she can look up my file.

I nod my head yes.

She scrolls through my charts; some of which I've never seen. She reads them with lightening fast speed. They're written in scripture that only the higher beings can understand -- and I'm still too young. I sit there quietly while she brings herself up to speed. She closes the file, returns the screen to my program and tells me, "Well, you seem to have a lot you want to accomplish. I would imagine that the longer you stay -- the better."

I still look confused, and so she whispers; "Anything after 80 years should be plenty of time," and with that she gives me a little wink, and walks towards the next little soul who has their hand raised.

Now that I've chosen my time, I start to answer other questions. What types of lessons do I want to learn on my journey? I have my mission, but I also have a choice as to what I'd like to get back in return.

Let's see...I scroll through the options and start selecting them one by one. Some of them are blocked out because I haven't earned the right to learn them -- I'm too new. Those are for more senior souls. I hope one day I'll be able to learn about them...but I don't think those lessons are available on Earth. I think those lessons are in another dimension.

I've always been curious to learn about secular emotions. I'm excited to go to Earth. To be on my own. I know there's a possibility that I might not come back, that I could be swallowed by the darkness -- but I'm not too worried. I really doubt that will happen.

But, just in case it does, I add a little Faith. With every option I chose, I get to select it's priority in my journey.

Patience: I choose to learn this quickly and with relative ease. I think it will help me on my mission.

Humility: I choose to learn this when I am older. I make this one challenging because all the higher beings have humility -- and I want to be like them.

Kindness and Charity are given to me by the Great Being. It's how he made me. As such, I will be placed with parents on Earth who share these same gifts; and in our family -- not one of us will be tempted by opposing evils of Greed and Envy. I'm happy about this. I won't have to deal with Greed and Envy on Earth.

Love: I choose the highest level that I'm allowed to for this trip. I want to be filled with love!

When I'm done, the Angel comes back over to check my screen and make sure that I've done it correctly. I have free will, but since she is more superior in Earthly ventures -- she takes my intentions and applies them to a more practical course of action.

She laughs when she sees my selection. "Darling," she says softly, "if you're going to have Love be the hardest lesson on your journey, you will need to add a little bit of Chastity to help ward off detractors of Love; such as Lust. You will also need a little bit of Diligence and Temperance to ward off Acedia and Gluttony."

I watch as she re-adjusts my journey. She then tells me that my level of humility is a bit too difficult -- and believes that I will have a hard time with Pride if I keep it at that level. So she lowers it, so I have a weaker version of Pride to overcome.

"There!" she says and stands tall behind me. "Very good!"

I bounce up and down in my seat with glee. My journey is complete! Now all I have to do is live it -- and not fall privy to any opposing forces.

I can do this!

And as I sit patiently in my seat, waiting for the others to complete their journeys; I gaze up through the transparent wall into the heavens -- and watch the indigo dance with all the positive energies.

And I hope, that I won't forget what these skies are like, when I'm down there trudging through my journey.