Rapture Test

I spent half my childhood absolutely terrified that I had missed the rapture.

Every year, our church would screen this film called A Thief in the Night. It painted vivid, haunting scenarios of what would happen if you missed the rapture, complete with a theme song that still echoes in my mind decades later: "There's no time to change your mind. The sun has come. You've been left behind."

Those words would play on repeat in my young brain, filling me with dread.

But I was clever—or so I thought. I devised a foolproof system to know whether the rapture had happened without me.

Every church has them: those three or four saintly older ladies who, if anyone was getting raptured, it would definitely be them. They practically had their tickets punched and bags packed for heaven. In our church, Miss Nellie Grindle was my chosen saint.

Here's how my brilliant plan worked: I'd call Miss Nellie's house. This was back in the day—no caller ID, no *69 to trace calls. Just pure, anonymous reconnaissance.

Ring, ring, ring.

"Hello?" Miss Nellie's voice would answer.

I'd immediately hang up.

"Thank you, Jesus!" I'd shout with relief.

Story Credit: Lee McBride

Watch Lee tell the story here: https://youtube.com/shorts/_4SJ7KnJr-k?feature=share