Did you love to read comic books when you were a kid? I certainly did. My favorites were “Peanuts” and “Archie.” I would lay across my bed and get lost in the stories for hours. Then one day I noticed something. Many of the stories in those books played out on sidewalks. Where we lived, we didn’t have them.

I got to thinking about it and realized there wasn’t any sidewalks close to me. My school didn’t have them. My church had a short one in front of it. A couple of my friends who lived in subdivisions didn’t have them either. The only places that did was my doctor’s office and the local shopping malls. To be honest, that was disappointing to me. Why? Because I wanted to be like the characters in my comic books in that I could walk or ride my bike on the sidewalk and go where I wanted to go.

Are you wondering why I didn’t just ride my bike on the road? I wanted to, but my mom said it was way too dangerous, especially at my young age. I knew she was right, but I wouldn’t admit it. Then I finally got my chance. My cousin Julie’s grandmother lived in town. And guess what they had. Yep, sidewalks. She said Julie and I could bring our bikes over and ride them. I was beyond thrilled. Julie’s dad placed them in the back of his truck and her mom drove us over. I was so excited that I couldn’t stand it. I don’t remember exactly where she lived, but I do remember turning down the road that ran beside the Channel 10 TV station. To me, it might as well have been a foreign country.

I was thrilled when I first saw the city sidewalk. It not only lined the whole road, but it was on both sides it as well. To me, I felt as if I had stepped into one of the stories in my comic books. Let me tell you, I couldn’t pull my bike out fast enough. Also, Julie and I had gotten flags for our bikes. They were small rectangular ones on a tall pole that attached to our bikes behind out seats. I don’t how long we rode on the sidewalk with our new flags flapping in the breeze behind us. To me, it was Heaven on Earth
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

How many times have you been extremely happy or pleased and compared it to being in Heaven? Or maybe you said it was: “Heavenly.” But the real Heaven is so far beyond any experience we can have here. We can’t even begin to comprehend what is in store for those who love the Lord. To me, that is awe inspiring.

Do I have sidewalks where I live now? Nope. I still don’t and that’s okay. I don’t even remember the last time I even wanted to ride my bike. Actually, I don’t even know where it is. As for walking, I am rather clumsy, so I didn’t need to be near moving cars. I’ll just hang out on the back deck and eat my heavenly chocolate.

Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.