The Grand Palace

A story about entry into Heaven

Once upon a time in a small African village, there lived a young girl named Adama. Adama was a curious and adventurous girl who dreamed of meeting the king of her country one day. She had heard tales of his wisdom and believed that he was the one who could help her achieve her dreams. She’d heard many incredible stories about the king’s grand palace and she wanted to see it for herself. So when she heard that the King was holding an audience at his grand palace for three days in a row, she knew she had to be there.

When the day arrived, Adama woke up very early to prepare. With a twinkle in her eye and a spring in her step, Adama set out on a journey to the city to meet the king. As she made her way to the city, Adama was filled with excitement and anticipation. She had never been to the city before, and the bustling streets and towering buildings were a sight to behold. As she approached the palace gates, she could feel her heart racing with excitement.

When she arrived at the palace gates, she was stopped by a guard who asked her what business she had there. Adama explained that she wanted to meet the king. The guard chuckled and informed her that meeting the king was not as easy as she thought. There were rules and protocols that must be followed, and anyone who was to meet with the king had to follow them.

Adama wasn’t thrilled.

She had always been a woman who believed in doing things her own way. She was never one to follow the rules. In fact, she hated the rules. She felt sovereign and powerful and believed she had the right to see the king because she came all the way. She thought she could just waltz into the palace and meet the king. But the guard denied her entry insisting she went through the proper channels.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “I came all the way to see the king.”

“I’m sorry, miss,” the guard said, “You must go through the proper channels if you wish to see the king.”

Adama was now furious. She didn’t want to go through those so-called “proper channels” but she looked around at the grand palace and after seeing how tight the security was at every corner, she realized she had no choice. She thought if she came back in her best African clothes, they would surely let her see the king. She went home to prepare for the next day.

The next day, Adama arrived at the palace gates dressed in her finest clothes. She had braided her hair and adorned it with beads. She was confident that she would be allowed to meet the king, but once again, she was stopped by the guard.

“I’m sorry, madam,” he said. “You cannot enter the palace without proper clearance. The king has specific protocols in place for meeting with visitors. You must go through the proper channels if you wish to see him.”

Adama was frustrated. She sighed. They kept stopping and telling her about these protocols, but it would take time and effort. She knew she had to make a decision. She could either go through the proper channels and see the king, or give up and go home.

“Can’t you just let me in?” she pleaded. “I promise I won’t cause any trouble. I just want to see the king and I’m sure the king would love to see me.”

The guard shook his head. “I’m sorry, madam, but I cannot make exceptions. If you want to see the king, you must go through the proper channels.”

She was very frustrated and couldn’t believe they wouldn’t let her in to see the king. She only had one more day to try again, but she didn’t even see the point. She gave up and went home. She decided to talk to her best friend Amara. Maybe she knew a way.

When she got home, she told her friend Amara about what had happened at the palace gates and hoped that she could help her figure out what to do.

“Amara, I don’t understand,” Adama said. “Why can’t people just walk into the palace and meet the king? It’s so silly to go through someone to get into the palace to see the king.”

Amara sighed. “Adama, if you want to meet the King, you have to do as you’ve been told. Go through who you are supposed to go through.”

Adama wasn’t happy with this response. But as the clock kept ticking, Adama began to realize that Amara was right. She couldn’t just waltz into the palace and meet the king. She had to follow the proper protocols. She went back to the palace and asked the guard all that she needed to do to meet the king. The guard explained the process to her. She was to be well-dressed and well-behaved. She was to see the king’s right-hand man who would give her the clearance to meet the king himself. She went home to prepare to meet the king the next day.

The next day, she went to the right-hand man’s office to see him. She was surprised to see a long line. She waited in line for hours with other visitors, all of whom were going through the same process. And finally, it was her turn to speak to the right-hand man and fill out all the necessary paperwork. After what seemed like an eternity, she was granted permission to meet the king. She was overjoyed.

As Adama made her way through the palace, she was in awe of its grandeur. The palace was even more magnificent than she had imagined. The walls were made of pure gold and were adorned with beautiful crystals and tapestries and the floors were made of gleaming marble. She saw the king’s throne room, where he held court with his advisors and ministers. She saw the king’s private chambers, where he slept in a grand four-poster bed and bathed in a luxurious marble tub. But as she approached the throne room, she began to feel nervous. She had never been in the presence of royalty before and she wasn’t sure how to behave. She took a deep breath and entered the room.

The king sat on his throne at the far end of the room, surrounded by his advisors. Adama felt a lump form in her throat as she approached him.

“Your majesty,” she said, bowing low.

“The king looked down at her with a stern expression. “Who are you and how may I help you? ” he asked.

“I’m Adama,” she replied. “I came here to meet you.”

The king’s expression softened slightly. “And how did you come to be here?”

Adama hesitated for a moment. She didn’t want to admit that she had tried to enter the palace without going through the proper channels. But she had heard stories that the king was very wise and she had to be honest.

“I tried to enter the palace on my own, Your Majesty,” she said. “But I was stopped by the guards. They told me that I had to go through the proper protocols if I wanted to see you.”

The king nodded. “And did you?”

“Yes, I did,” Adama replied. “Though I didn’t understand why I had to go through someone to meet with you.”

The king smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear you did what you were asked. You see, Adama, there are rules and protocols in place for a reason. Have a seat.”

Adama took a seat across from the king and he began to teach her many things.

“Meeting kings and queens are normally difficult because they are high-ranking figures in a country’s government or royal family. Their safety is of utmost importance and as such, they are often surrounded by layers of security and protocol to protect them. Anyone who wants to meet them must go through a rigorous screening process to ensure that they are not a threat. This is why meeting with kings is often subject to strict protocols and procedures. It typically requires going through someone else, such as a government official or a representative of the royal family. These intermediaries can help to navigate the complex rules and protocols that must be followed to arrange a meeting with a king or queen. These protocols ensure that everyone who enters this palace is properly vetted and has a legitimate reason for being there. Without those protocols, chaos would reign,” the king explained. “You can go to a school and meet the principal without going through someone. You can go to a hospital and meet the doctor without seeing someone else first. There are many places you can go that will not require you to go through someone else but in a grand palace, you have to go through someone else before you are granted access to meet with the king.”

“Does that make sense to you?” he asked her.

Adama nodded, feeling humbled. She realized that she had been foolish to think that she could just waltz into a grand palace without following the rules.

“I understand, your majesty,” she said.

The king smiled again. “Good. Now, tell me, what brings you here today?”

And with that, Adama launched into her story, telling the king all about her dreams and aspirations. He was everything she had imagined and more. He listened to her dreams and gave her advice on how to achieve them. She thanked the king and asked to be on her way.

As she walked out of the grand palace, she felt a sense of accomplishment. She realized that Amara had been right all along. She learned a valuable lesson the hard way that day. The rules are there for a reason. It’s not personal. It’s a security thing.

The End.

If we cannot simply waltz into the palace of earthly kings and queens and demand to see them without going through the proper channels, how much more a heavenly grand palace of the King of the Universe?