In Another Lifetime

Anything I want

"Have you figured it out yet, Delaney Michelle Harris? I think maybe you have." His eyes crinkled as he smiled.

I couldn't speak. I just stared, my breath leaving me at the next words he uttered.

"I'm God."

~♡~

I shook my head, forgetting to breathe for half a minute. I had to be dreaming. I'd have a good laugh when I woke up from this insanity. I might even tell Jason about it.

"You're finding that hard to believe I see. It happens."

I smiled at him, thinking he must have wandered from the retirement home. I really wanted to believe that, but something told me I would be wrong, and I foolishly decided to play along.

"Can I ask a question?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"If you're God, then why do you allow people to struggle? Why do you let us go thru hard times, and heart break?"

"Because without lessons, you would never learn. Without struggles, you wouldn't know how to appreciate the little things. Without heart break, you wouldn't understand how precious love is. Life can't always be easy, Laney. Otherwise everyone would forget how to be thankful. They would take everything for granted. Every struggle brings with it the opportunity to learn something, it's up to you to take that opportunity, to open that door. Some do, others don't."

I lowered my eyes, looking at the ground in front of me.

"Why are you here?" Curiosity was getting the better of me.

"Ah, now that's the magic question. One that I am happy to answer for you. Tell me, Delaney, is there something you want?"

I narrowed my gaze, shaking my head, not sure what he meant by that.

"I don't understand what you mean. There are a lot of things I want, so is that a trick question, so you can see if I give the right answer?" I glanced at him.

He laughed, a loud, booming laugh, and I was certain the ground vibrated under my feet.

"No Laney, it's not a trick question. There is no right or wrong answer. I'm here to grant you a wish, for anything you want."

Now I was positive I was dreaming.

"There's a catch, though." He said matter-of-factly.

There it was. There's always a catch.

"Delaney, remember, I'm God. I already know what you want."

I didn't even know what I wanted.

"What's the catch?" I mumbled, not sure I really wanted to know.

"You only get 30 days. Then everything returns back to the way it is right now."

I took a breath, my mind spinning. This couldn't be real. But if it was, what would I wish for?

That's a stupid question, Laney. What do you wish for on a daily basis?

"Why are you granting me a wish?"

"That's a fair question, I suppose." He stood, and walked closer to the fountain. He waved his hand, and the water stopped shooting up, instead freezing to form a wall. There, on that wall of water, I could see Jason, asleep on the couch, not a care in the world.

"Why are you showing me this? I see this on a daily basis. It never changes."

"You asked me why I'm granting you a wish. You're unhappy. You're doing everything you can to keep going, and your husband isn't helping, even though he's capable. He does love you, but he's forgotten how to show it. His life has gotten easy, and he's forgotten how to appreciate the little things."