Evangelist Philip loved talking to people. She didn’t even like talking to the other pre-borns. She already knew she wouldn’t like talking to other people if she became one of them. Why her? She didn’t want to accept this assignment. Unfortunately, she knew she probably had no choice in the matter.
As the pre-borns lined up for their turn in the chambers, time lined up—in Eternity to release them into the Earth and in Earth to receive them in their pre-selected birth dates. As they passed through the chambers, their Earth-mother’s bodies prepared to receive these precious seeds into their wombs.
Once the pre-borns cleared the chambers, each was assigned an Angel of Earth Entry to accompany them into the wombs of the women destined to become their mothers. At the moment of conception, the spirit light went into the seed planted within the mother by the father. Although the pre-borns could communicate with the angels through their minds, they quickly moved into the next season of their existence as babies on the Earth.
Beverley
SEVEN
Earthbound Entry Chamber, Eternity, Twelve Earth-hours before …
As the first wave of contractions hit the womb Pre-born Spirit Beverley occupied, the pre-born balked again. Not wanting to leave the sanctuary of Heaven in the first place, she was miserable. She loathed the idea of her Earthbound assignment.
She didn’t want to be born into the Earth! She definitely didn’t want to be in this womb thing. Although warm and secure, it was also dark and frightening, water sloshing around. Adding to that, she also experienced many weird noises, scary weird noises seemingly coming from outside the vessel housing her.
As time went on and she prepared for her assignment as a human infant, Beverley grew more and more hostile concerning the transformation overtaking her. Once she was placed in the womb inside that thing called a body, she started growing things, things she didn’t want.
She never realized it would be like this! Beverley recalled the visit she had made with the other pre-borns to Adam and Eve when God first assigned them to Earth. They were whole. They didn’t have to spend any time in a dark chamber to form before being born on the Earth. She wanted a creation moment like that!
Not to mention the fact that she would forget everything she had known since she was created. It was so unfair that Adam and Eve were allowed to remember everything from creation even after they were created on the Earth as humans!
But she and the other pre-borns would forget everything they had been taught and instructed in because they would be in the body of a … baby!
In actuality, she detested those tiny, squirming, nasty little things. She had seen many of those things during the field trip to Earth. So unnatural! And she did not want to become one of them, not in that way. Where was the high adventure? She was determined to talk to God about this!
Pre-born Beverley grew tired of the noises surrounding her in this tank called a womb. The water sloshed; the woman’s heart beat like a drum; everything on the outside of this vessel magnified in sound as she grew. And what was that awful swill the woman ingested all the time? Was that the food God had created for humans to eat on the Earth? Yuck! She wanted to go back to Heaven and indulge on the delicacies of angels! She didn’t like it in this place.
There were other changes going on that Beverley detested. She was accustomed to talking with Almighty God and the angels spirit-to-spirit. In the tomb … err, womb, she was cut off from that. Now all conversations were mind-to-mind.
She couldn’t see anything since she was inside this body-thing, she lamented. Her physical eyes hadn’t completely formed yet. Even if they were formed, she couldn’t see anything inside this dark, dank womb. She had discovered in pre-Earth class that, even after she was born, as an infant she wouldn’t be able to really see until she was about four months old or so!
Accustomed to hearing whatever she desired in the Heavenly-realm, now her hearing consisted of sensing vibrations inside her soon-to-be Earth-mother’s womb. And she didn’t like any of what she heard! Pre-born Beverley was thoroughly disgusted!
Never having to experience limitations in the Eternal Heavens, Beverley now found herself limited to being a body confined inside another body without a voice. The rules had changed. Now, the only way she could let her Earth-mother know how she felt was by causing her body-thing to move about, something she learned to do quickly and well. Beverley made sure she did plenty of moving around just so it was known she was not satisfied with her new position. She didn’t appreciate any of this experience!
Pre-born Beverley had looked forward to a high adventure. And look where she was! What a cruel joke, this human thing! She wanted out!
As another contraction hit her Earth-mother’s body, she rocked inside that hideous place, the womb. (Tomb!) The sloshing water drove her bonkers. She couldn’t stand it any longer! She knew it was her time to make an entrance on the Earth but refused to go.
“Caldor! Get me out of here!” she mind-screamed indignantly to her Earthbound Angel, “I am not going out there!”
Pre-born Beverley rebelled in her spirit while trying to grasp the slippery inner walls of the birth chamber with hands she didn’t quite know how to use yet.
“That place out there is in turmoil. You said so yourself! Why? Why do I have to go and live with this woman as one of them?” Beverley emphasized the word as she mind-shrieked in frustration. She knew her assignment. She just didn’t want any part of it.
She and all the other pre-borns had taken class after class about Earth and humanities and other things they needed while on the Earth. When the pre-borns went on Earth-trips, they were given the opportunity to see what humans looked like and how they functioned before it was their turn to do the same.
Beverley wanted no part of any of it. Once she discovered the type of family she was being assigned to, the matter was clenched for her. From the moment of her Earth-trip to see the man and woman who would be her Earth-parents, Beverley stubbornly refused to accept her assignment.
“A poor Negro family? That’s where I’m going? Why? Why me? Why do I have to be born into this family? There are gazillions of other families and you’re releasing me to this family? They aren’t even married to each other! They’re … what’s the word Jesus used? Adulterers! Does God know about this? I bet Abba didn’t tell you to do this to me,” ranted Pre-born Beverley during the class season on human insight.
Each of the pre-borns was taken to his or her designated family and human stations and allowed to observe their assigned families. She sulked during the remainder of the class and made it known that she thought it unfair. She made sure everyone knew she was not pleased to do what she was being asked to do.
“I want to speak with Abba about this,” she demanded in a tearful voice. “I know a switch can be made. Some other pre-born can go and be this family’s baby,” she begged sulkily, hoping Caldor would have sympathy for her.
“Beverley, you know that is not possible,” Caldor explained, trying to reason with her. “You know the Creator has designated each of you for a particular task. Once the assignment is given, there is no turning back.”
Pre-born Spirit Beverley shimmered in the atmosphere as she worked up the tears growing inside her. She didn’t want to go on this assignment. Why would Abba want her to be placed with these poor people? Besides, they weren’t even married! At least not to each other! She just didn’t understand.
“Angel Caldor,” she said respectfully, tears flowing down her shimmering cheeks. “May I please have an audience with Almighty God? Please?” she asked emphatically. Beverley hoped she could change His mind and decision concerning her assignment. She had to try. She really didn’t want to go on this assignment. She wanted to understand—she needed to understand.
She was in good company. Many pre-borns didn’t understand the choices their Creator made for them as He created them. Many of them didn’t like the choices but had no choice in the matter. This was their God-given destiny and purpose.
Angel Caldor manifested in the throne room of the Most High to request an audience for the agitated Pre-born Beverley. Before he could utter a word, God answered the question.
“Caldor, send in the little one. It is time for her to be born into the Earth. There is no time to spare,” commanded the booming voice of Almighty God.
Caldor humbly retreated from the presence of the Lord. Instantly, Pre-born Spirit Beverley appeared before the Throne of Grace to hear the answers to the questions she had concerning why she was destined to go into the Earth-realm.
Eight
Eternity
Beverley,” God thundered, “I know your concerns, My child. Believe it or not, you are prepared for every good work I have for you on the Earth. But you must trust Me,” reasoned Almighty God with this very unwilling pre-born spirit.
Beverley cautiously moved toward her beloved Abba, tears freely flowing down her translucent spirit-cheeks. She didn’t want to leave Him and all her friends in Heaven. Surely there was some other way to complete her mission without having to join that family God had prepared for her on the Earth.
God looked down at the little pre-born spirit before Him—He knew her thoughts. He also knew each and every situation that would arise in the life of this little one, Beverley. He understood her reluctance to leave Heaven to go on this mission to the Earth. He had to help her understand why it was so important for her to do what He asked and complete what He had created her to do.
“But, Abba,” whined the pre-born. “Why do I have to leave You? I don’t want to go down there and live with those people. Father, I don’t understand why …”
“Beverley, let me show you something,” God said soothingly. He pulled the little spirit toward Him and settled her in the palm of His hand. Directing her attention to the screen before them, He gently spoke to her, “Look at this.”
They watched the screen as Beverley was born.
“Wow, is that me?” the little spirit asked. “But that covering, the skin is so light. I look white. But I thought …” she sputtered, wondering.
“Yes, My child, that’s you. But through the process of time,” He explained as the screens changed and Earth-Beverley became older, “this is what you will look like as you grow.”
Beverley observed her Earth-self as she grew through the stages of life from newborn to toddler to teen. She liked what she saw!
“Wow, Abba, she’s, I mean, I’m pretty,” said the pre-born spirit as she observed the transformation. She saw her Earth-self in school, with friends, playing sports, singing in church. “Oh, Abba, look at me. It looks like fun,” she said excitedly as the screens flashed before them. Beverley enjoyed seeing the things she would do on the Earth. She even enjoyed the family life she appeared to have.
Suddenly the screens changed and became darker. As Earth-Beverley grew and matured, more scenes appeared on the screen before the two viewers.
“Why did the screen become darker, Father?” she asked as Almighty God observed her observing the screens.
“Beverley, you will go through some very dark times in your life,” He explained. “There will come a time in your life in which you will turn away from Heaven …”
“Oh no, Abba!” she quickly interjected, distressed at this news. “I don’t want to turn away from You! Why?” she questioned, wanting now more than ever to stay in Heaven to avoid the risk of turning away from the One she loved the most.
“You will have many experiences in preparation for what I have for you to do later in your life,” God explained. “Look at the next screens, Beverley,” He instructed.
Beverley looked on as the screen suddenly changed to a much older Beverley. The scene became lighter than before.
“What are those clothes I’m wearing with the funny shoes and head coverings?” the little spirit asked, amazed at seeing her Earth-self and the things she was doing on the Earth.
“Those clothes are called a uniform. You will wear them when you enter the Army of the World on the Earth. You will be a soldier,” God explained.
“A soldier, Lord? I’m going to be a soldier? Like David and Caleb and Jonathan and Jeshua?” she enquired, incredulous. “But, Abba, what about the dark times? Will they still be with me as a soldier?”
“Yes, My child. You will face many dark times as a soldier in the Army of the World. But,” He explained as the screen changed, “it is during this time that you will also join the Army of the Lord.”
Beverley considered what she saw, what Abba told her. She remembered going through the Chamber of Gifts and Talents. She had felt empowered, courageous, brave, and mighty when the warrior talents were bestowed upon her. But this person she saw on the screen before her was more than that.
This human woman was strong, beautiful, and all the other things Beverley had experienced in the chamber. She saw a young woman walking with boldness. She wanted to be that person!
Pre-born Beverley continued looking at the screen and saw her older self preaching. This self was powerful. She appeared to walk in the holiness of the Lord. When she went through the myriad Life on Earth classes before her Earthbound journey, many of her instructors had shared how they had also walked with that same power.
“That’s me, Abba?” asked the little spirit, not believing the woman she saw, not believing she would become a powerful preacher in the Earth.
“My child, you will affect the lives of many people during your sojourn on the Earth. There will be trials and tribulations occurring in your life. I need for these things to happen so you will mature into the woman you last saw,” Almighty God explained.
“Do not be afraid to leave Me here in Heaven,” God advised. “You will be surrounded by the angels I have assigned to you. They will be with you throughout your life, my little child,” God told Spirit Beverley.
“Oh, Abba, I will miss You and Heaven so very much,” she said as she thought back to all the instruction she and the other pre-borns had received prior to being swooshed into the vacuums of time.
“I know you will, child. But you will be back,” promised God.
God smiled as he observed the birth of Beverley. He knew everything about to happen in her life. He knew all the good; He knew all the bad. He had ordered the path she would follow. He knew.
Nine
Queens County Hospital: January 21, 1959, 9 p.m.
Push, Anna,” Nurse Edna Cummins encouraged. “Come on! One more good push and your baby will be here.” The nurse was confident that Anna Horton was near the end of her labor and travail.
Steely-gray hair twisted in a severe bun with twinkling hazel eyes, Nurse Edna smiled as she considered the young woman on the table. This was the third birth she had attended with Anna Mae Horton. Edna felt sorry for the young colored woman. For all three births, there had never been a father present, only her younger sister Evelyn. She wanted to talk to the young woman, perhaps give her some counsel. Unfortunately, all she could do was her job in helping her birth this newest baby.
Anna had been in labor since the early morning hours. It was now after nine at night. Finally, after nine months of waiting, she was about to bear the child she knew would cause Leon to marry her—after she got a divorce, that is. Even though her sister Evelyn had warned her about Leon—that he played with her emotions and was not faithful—Anna knew this baby was what she needed to stabilize their relationship.
Anna believed if she married Leon, she wouldn’t have the problems she had faced before. Poor, colored, and with two other children already, Anna knew she wasn’t in an ideal situation. She knew she was wrong for having children by one man when she was already married to another.
But she wanted the perfect family. The perfect husband, perfect children, and the perfect little family home with a white picket fence.
And Leon was the hu
sband she wanted. She had left her home in Virginia to follow her dream in New York. Even though she had already made the mistake of marrying someone who would never be good for her, she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Now her dream was about to come true.
“Push,” Nurse Cummins urged. “Come on, Anna, we’re almost there,” she said excitedly.
Nurse Cummins loved seeing new life come into the world. Working in labor and delivery for twenty years, she knew how to help a baby be born. This one was no exception.
Anna strained with all the power she could muster. OB/GYN Dr. Everett Strong reiterated the call to push as he peered under the sheet. Bearing down, Anna clenched her teeth and pressed in. She was eager to see who this person was that had grown inside her body for the past nine months.
Sensing in her heart that it was another girl, Anna nevertheless prayed for a boy. Leon desired a son. She prayed she would be the one to give him a son.
Lord, if You hear me, please let it be a boy. God, I’ll do anything … Anna silently prayed as she forced herself to push for what seemed like the thousandth time on this day, the longest of her life. And then …
“Uumph,” Anna grunted and knew she had done it. The baby whooshed out of her body with a loud resounding thoomp. Exhausted, Anna lay back, thankful her job was done for the moment.
Both doctor and nurse gasped as they looked at the newborn little girl. The newborn’s skin was alabaster!
“Oh my,” exclaimed Dr. Strong. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say we have the wrong baby for this mother. But I saw her being born with my own eyes,” he whispered to Nurse Cummins, his dark gray eyes blinking in surprise. They were both baffled by the spectacle before them.
“Oh, what a pretty little thing,” Nurse Cummins cried out. “But how can she be white, Doctor? What happened?” she questioned Dr. Strong, confused. In all her years in labor and delivery, Edna had never seen anything like this.
The Baby Chronicles Page 5