"If you have the time," I said.

God smiled. "My time is eternity. That's enough time to do everything. What questions do you have in mind?"

"What surprises You most about mankind?"

"Many things. That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, and live neither for the present nor for the future. That they live as if they will never die, and die as if they had never lived."

God took my hand in His. We were silent for a while, then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons You want Your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile. "To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. They can only let themselves be loved. To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but Who they have in their lives. To learn that it isn't good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not compared to other people.

"To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least. To learn that it takes only a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons they love and many years to heal them. To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn there are persons who love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.

"To learn that money can buy everything but happiness. To understand that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally differently. To appreciate that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them, and likes them anyway. To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."

I sat there for a while enjoying the moment. I thanked God for this time and for all that He has done for me and my family.