12-year-old Nelica was confined to her bed and a wheelchair, but her imagination often took her to places she’d never been. Parks, lakes, mountains, clouds, and stars were all hers to explore. You see, Nelica had been severely disabled since birth.

Nelica always wore a smile. People seeing her condition for the first time couldn’t imagine where she got that beautiful smile. It was from God, she would tell them.

One night, Nelica dreamed about a wonderful garden where Jesus was waiting for her. She saw herself in a beautiful pink dress with a long train and pearl beadwork, running to Him. He greeted her with a big smile. Her dream made her very happy. Sometimes she would draw it. Sometimes she would sing it. She even wrote a poem about it.

Then her condition deteriorated quicker than expected. She grew weaker by the day. Soon she couldn’t even sit up on her own. For a month, her friends all visited often. Everyone knew that this was goodbye. That wonderful smile would soon be a memory.

Then the day arrived. The ambulance, the resuscitation, the frantic voices, the rush to the hospital—all passed in a blur. Then peace.
Nelica sat palely in her hospital bed, propped up by pillows. Needles and tubes had been inserted all over her frail body. The doctors had done what they could, but everyone knew that the time of Nelica’s departure had come. Her mother cried softly as she read Nelica a story.

Nelica moaned.

“Do you feel any pain, sweetheart?” her mother asked.

“No, Mama.” Nelica’s beaming smile was more beautiful than ever. “I’m Home now,” she said ecstatically. “I’m in the garden. … Oh, Mama, the dress is so much more beautiful than I thought. … Mama, here He comes! He’s smiling at me! Mama, it is so wonderful!”

Nelica smiled one last time, and off she went.