Over the years, I've wanted to give an account of a couple of significant religious events that happened during my childhood and early teens. Still, either I put them on the back burner or just now considered it necessary to do so.

One of the most essential memories about my story is the one about my mom putting me out to play in the backyard while she cleaned the house when I was two years old. One may say something to the effect that at such a young age, a person wouldn't be able to remember such an event. Thinking back, I have several memories from that time, including my dad getting the ends of his fingers cut off by the lawnmower, trips to the zoo, the first day of my mom dropping me off at daycare, and getting my butt whipped for interrupting her one time while she was on the phone with a family friend. So I know for a fact that my memory is good from that point in my life.

With my sister being in school during the week or playing in her room, the backyard was my own personal haven for a few hours during the day. On one particular day, I was playing with my toys out back when I noticed a man walking towards me. I knew exactly who he was. It was Jesus Christ. He walked towards me slowly. Every step he took put me more at ease. Finally, he got to me; I was standing and looking up. He was now directly in front of me. Not only did I know who he was, but I also knew why he was there. In addition, this encounter was the first of three consecutive visits from him on three consecutive days and the first of three consecutive trips that I would make with him to our Heavenly home—ultimately, he picked me up and carried me there each time.

We weren't a church-going family, and I don't recall any of my immediate family members, including my older sister, ever reading the Bible aloud to me or mentioning anything about Heaven or Jesus. At only two years old, I wouldn't have understood or been able to comprehend anything that they were telling me anyway; and I certainly wasn't able to read at that age either.

After Jesus had picked me up, it seemed only a few seconds, then he was putting me down in this big field or meadow. As I looked around, everything appeared ethereal and bright and appeared to move slowly. There really wasn't much sound, just a slight breeze blowing now and then. At this time, I began to realize how small I indeed was. After setting me down, he was gone, leaving me to explore independently, which was fine with me. Nothing was on my agenda except the journey God had prepared for me.

One of the first things that caught my attention was the pride of lions grazing amongst themselves near a tree. One would stop occasionally and raise his head in a curious manner but didn't show any anger or fear, not that I could sense anyway. So I knew that everything would be okay. The more significant male lion soon noticed me and began walking slowly toward me, making eye contact with me every step of the way. He was by far the largest lion I had ever seen; he was big. I remembered going to the zoo back home, but I didn't recall ever seeing one as big. I was also wondering why they were eating grass. Lions don't eat grass; they eat meat, is what I was thinking.

Then it happened; the lion was directly in front of me, staring at me with an expression of absolute awe, respect, and even love that can't be explained. I should have been terrified, but I wasn't; instead, I just stood there silently awaiting his next move. In Christianity, Jesus is represented as a lamb and God as a lion. Was this lion God? The truth may never be known, at least not in this lifetime. The city of gold itself was just beyond the field, and once upon his back, that's where the two of us headed. The other lions continued eating as we walked by, but honestly didn't pay much attention.

The whole time that I was there, he never left my side. Sometimes he walked beside me, making occasional glances as if to make sure I was doing okay. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done, and I shall never forget it.

There were also buildings on either side of where the lions were grazing when I first arrived, but that wasn't where I wanted to go. Not only that, but it seemed my companion knew where he wanted to take me and in what order. He and I went to several places together, places such as the pearl gates and other fields, and walking on the golden streets, going past buildings of solid marble and gold, all laid out much like a modern city, only more precise and of pure beauty.

To this day, I can still in-vision the golden streets, but even more so, how they felt beneath my bare feet. The best way to describe it is to take the ancient cities of Atlantis, Athens, the gardens of Babylon, and every other beautiful city mentioned in history, combine them into one and magnify its beauty a thousandfold. That is the best way that I can describe what I saw. Sure, there are numerous beautiful places here on Earth, but not a single one of those can hold a candle to what awaits us in Heaven; there were multiple fields, mansions, tall buildings, and countless variations of flowers and trees. I don't, however, remember seeing any other animals besides the lions, not even birds. I am pretty sure there was so much more, but I was too young to retain all of it.

Another thing that I remember is being able to move fast at my discretion; something would catch my eye and I was able to be there in an instant. It seems unreal, but it's the truth. For the most part, though, I took my time taking it all in. Another thing worth mentioning is being able to see 360 degrees and yet being able to keep everything separate. That is one advantage of being there, no physical limitations.

While there, I sometimes looked down at my feet as kids do, proving that we will still maintain our human form, even in spirit. But I have to say that the best part of this experience was that I had the entire place all to myself. No one else was there. Yes, there are many stories of people going to Heaven and seeing loved ones, including those that passed before they were born.

I know that I was the only one there at that time. Perhaps God himself wanted it that way. Who knows? I still, to this day, don't fully understand why he chose me. Maybe to do what I'm doing at this moment, sharing my story with all of you, for whatever reasons that I may not understand right now. All I know is that for whatever reason I was chosen, I'm truly blessed to have been given that opportunity.

As far as getting back, I remember after being there for a while playing, walking around, etc., I grew tired, as children do. The lion seemed to sense this and lay down as cats do with their back feet tucked under and their front legs crossed out front. I would then crawl up next to him and go to sleep, waking up at home in the backyard that I had recently left.

Did Jesus take me back? Was it the lion? Or was I somehow transported? To this day, I genuinely don't know. After returning, I told my mom that I had gone to Heaven, that Jesus came and got me, took me to Heaven to play, then brought me back. She told me not to say that because it wasn't right.

The very next day, once again, I said to her that Jesus had come and gotten me and taken me to Heaven. Just as before, she told me not to say things like that. The third time she got the Bible out, sat beside me on the couch, and asked me to tell her what I saw. In later years, she said that I explained Heaven in the same way that the Bible does. She also said that she was scared that God was planning to keep me the next time, so she prayed, and it all stopped.

Over the years, I've tried figuring out why I went. So, when I go back, that is one of the first things I will ask.

Has anyone who's read my story had the same Heavenly experience as I had? Has anyone been picked up and carried there by the son of God? I was. So, regardless of what anyone may think, my experience tells me not to have any worries about where I'll end up.

P.S. One last stir: Yes, I did meet Jesus himself, and he's not blonde-haired and blue-eyed as depicted in Christianity. He's middle-eastern with olive skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes with a trimmed beard. Also, I'd say he's around 5'7” or 5'8” but keep in mind that small children have a different perception of just how tall or " big" a person truly is.