Dismas awakes in heaven, baffled as to why and amazed by the wonder of his new surroundings. He is welcomed by Jesus and recounts his story. For the first time in his short, wretched life, he begins to discover many feelings and emotions that had been deeply buried and suppressed.
As he reflects on his past, he struggles to see the reason why he has been rescued and brought into paradise. But as his mind is renewed, he discovers that he is no different to anyone else – created special and unique by a forgiving Father; saved, healed and restored by a compassionate Son and filled with love and joy by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Beneath The Tamarisk Tree is a fictional take on the story of the Penitent Thief, a character mentioned so briefly in the Bible. But his encounter with Jesus offers great insights into the scale of the sacrifice that was made and all that is freely available to everyone who believes.
The book offers an insight into the Easter story from the perspective of a character who witnessed it close up. It shows the profound love of Christ for us all, regardless of our background or experience, and that He is a God of second chances.
Readers seem to be impacted by the descriptions of heaven, as well as an insight into the crucifixion, that although it is not presented in a graphic way, it shows the pain and suffering that Christ experienced to save each of us.
Consciousness was slowly returning to him, sense by sense. His eyes were still closed. He felt confused but safe. He could tell he was lying down, so warm, comfortable and relaxed. He recalled the Rabbi’s words from just a few moments before and they echoed loudly in his mind. He could feel the softest movement in the air, just a wafting across his face as if someone had quietly walked by. He began to feel the movement of his hair and the folds in his clothes catching the breeze. The air surrounding him was swirling back and forth across his body like the loveliest of summer breezes. Comforting and relaxing, initiating no hurry in him to move. It felt safe and calm around him. He was still hearing the words of that promise that the holy man had made. He opened one eye, just a little, like a young child pretending to be asleep. Peeking out through the smallest of gaps between his eyelids, he was in awe at the sight in front of him. The source of this refreshing breeze, rousing him from his unconsciousness, was like a vision from a dream. Stood before him was a creature, twice his height, clothed in a white flowing robe, edged with gold. Around its middle was a golden belt that gathered the garment in folds to its waist. He had never seen anything so white, so unblemished and pure. As bright as lightning in the night sky. But its colour was not just a plain white. The creature had an aura of pearlescent light refracting around it, creating so many shades of white that glinted and sparkled in all directions. It had a human form, with magnificent wings protruding from its spine. It was towering above him as he lay on the ground, its back turned towards him and one shoulder dropped, so that it could lean the wings in towards him, directing the air towards where he was lying. He counted three pairs of wings on the creature’s back. This was the source of the reviving breeze that was gently pulling him into a fuller awareness of his surroundings.