Here he comes

     The soul walked near the edge of heaven and looked down.  A huge smile was on his face.
     "Good morning." Saint Peter said, smiling at the soul.  "I know you're anxious to be on your way, but before we send you back, I have to give you a short brief on what may lay ahead of you."
     "Oh, I've been there before.  I don't really need a brief.  Send me down."
     "You do need the brief.  There are things that need to be explained to you.  A lot of things have changed since you were last on earth.  We need to discuss things and make sure you know what you're heading into."
     "Oh, I'll be fine.  They haven't changed swords, have they?  I mean I know they come up with new kinds of weapons all the time, but I'm still kind of used to a sword."
     Peter took a deep breath.  "Look, it's not like that down there anymore.  Swords are mostly decorative, and...excuse me, can you please step away from the edge there?  You need to hear these things before you go back!"
     The soul stepped back from the edge and gave Peter an anxious look.  He began to bounce up and down.
     "Will you stop that?  When you go back, you will probably face loneliness, fear, resentment, rejection, we need to discuss how you will handle these feelings!"
     The soul stopped bouncing.  "Yeah, that might be, but there's also love, and compassion, and happiness, and treasure down there!  Have you ever found treasure?"
     "Treasure?  What are you talking about?  We're discussing feelings here!  You need to understand how things work down there now, and prepare yourself for that!"
     "I'll be returning as  child, right?  I'll learn as I grow."
     Peter covered his face with his hands for a few seconds.  After a large sigh, he looked back up at the soul.  "Ok, just a minute.  Let me make a quick call."  He picked up a nearby phone receiver and immediately heard God's voice.
     "It's ok, Peter.  Send him down."
     "He won't listen to me, Lord!  I keep trying to tell him what he might run into, but he just won't listen!  He seems to think everything will be all rosy down on earth!"
     "He'll be fine."
     "He wasn't fine last time!  He killed, he caused pain, he did horrible things during his time!"
     "Many of those things he regretted doing.  He lived the life of a gladiator.  He did what he had to do, when he had to do it.  His life won't be anything like that this time.  Send him down."
     Peter sighed.  "Yes Lord, if that is your will, I will send him on his way.  May I talk to him about his past life just a bit, though?  Just to reassure myself?"
     "Of course."
     Peter hung up the phone and turned back to the soul.  "I understand your last life was a bit...violent?"
     "Huh?  Oh yeah, yeah.  Things happened.  I didn't always like what happened, but did what had to be done.  I was told this life wouldn't be violent like my last one.  Am I clear to go yet?"
     "I'm just worried that...well..."
     "Hey, have you ever talked to any of the spartans up here?  Man, those guys are nuts!  None of my stories could ever come close to theirs!  Wow, what adventures!"
     "Yes, some of them are...well, they aren't ready to return yet.  I do need to ask you, during your time here, I've been told you haven't always followed the rules?"
     "When didn't I follow the rules?"
     "You left the realm and took off."
     "I wanted to see the other place, what was wrong with that?  I came back."
     "What if you hadn't made it back?  We have rules for a reason, but you didn't seem to care."
     "I was allowed to look over the edge.  God told me to witness what went on there, and to remember what I saw.  That I could end up there if I made bad choices.  And I do remember."
     Peter sighed again.  "Ok, I've been told to send you down, but...WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE!"
     The soul leapt from the edge of heaven and floated down towards the earth.  Peter could hear him singing.  He reached over and grabbed the phone.
     "He'll be fine, Peter."
     "But Lord, he didn't listen!  he doesn't follow the rules!  He will face pain, suffering, death, loneliness and horror!"
     "He will also find love, feel happiness, celebrate new births, and find enduring friendships.  He will be fine Peter, I promise you."
     "He said he had been told this new life wouldn't be violent.  Did...did you...?"
     "Yes Peter, I told him this next life would be one of peace.  I also gave him the song you heard him singing on the way down.  It's called Take a Chance on Me."
     "Take a chance...I've never heard of it."
     "It'll be written by a group called ABBA during his lifetime.  He'll love it.  Don't worry, he'll forget it when he's born back on earth.  But when he hears it later in this life, it'll always sound familiar."
     "He took lives during his last time on earth, are you sure he'll be ok?"
     "He'll be fine.  This lifetime will not be a violent one for him.  During his life something called the internet will be invented.  He'll have friends from far away.  Some he will even help and comfort during times of need for them.  He'll discover something called email, and get a small phone that he can carry around everywhere with him.  He will affect many lives this time, and in a positive way."
     "You know best, Lord."  Peter gently hung up the phone and looked down towards the earth.  He looked in on a small hospital room and saw a young woman holding a small baby boy in her arms.  She smiled with joy as she looked at him.
     Peter breathed out in surprise.  The young woman was named Lucille.  The little boy would most likely drive her nuts when he didn't follow the rules.
     "Lord, help her!" Peter whispered.
     "I will." a soft voice whispered back.