The three, two women and a man, of them arrived at the Pearly Gates almost simultaneously. “Oh, hi, I’m Saint Peter. I’ll have to ask you to wait a few minutes. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

They waited. After what seemed like a long time, the gate once again opened. Saint Peter stuck his head out, greeted the trio again, and once more he apologized. He motioned for the woman sitting beside the man to come to him. She did.

He allowed her to slip inside the gate. He then spoke, “I’m so sorry for the delay. Did you mind waiting?”

“Oh my gracious,” she said, “mind waiting, of course I didn’t. I am beside myself to be here. I cannot believe I’m going to be here with Jesus. This is wonderful.”

Saint Peter smiled. He liked the woman’s attitude. He informed her. “Well, there is an entrance exam. But I’m only going to ask you one question.”

“Okay,” the woman said.

“The question is,” said Saint Peter, “how do you spell God?”

“I’ve got that,” said the woman. “God is spelled capital G – o – d.”

“Wonderful, you can go right on in.”

Saint Peter then cracked the gate open again. He motioned with his finger for the man to come to him. Once the man entered he said, “I hope you didn’t mind waiting.”

“Oh, absolutely not,” the man said. “I mean I’m really surprised, but I figure if I’m here at the gate I am most fortunate. Goodness, mind the wait? I don’t think so. After all I’ll be here for eternity. What’s a little wait like that?”

Again Saint Peter was pleased. “That’s good. I’m most appreciative of your attitude. But I do have to ask you one question.”

The man nodded.

Saint Peter said, “How do you spell God?”

The man quickly answered, “G – o – d.”

Saint Peter wrinkled his brow and stared at the man.

The man corrected himself, “Oh, excuse me. God is spelled capital G – o – d.”

“Enter eternity,” Peter directed.

Now Saint Peter headed to the gate again. He motioned for the woman to come to him. Again he said, “I hope you didn’t mind the wait.”

“Mind the wait,” the woman said. “Mind the wait; yes I minded the wait. I cannot believe I arrived at the Pearly Gates and get treated in this manner. I waited in line my whole life. In elementary school I waited in line for lunch, to get on the bus. At college I waited in line to register. I’ve waited in line to vote. I’ve waited in line to check out of the grocery store. I’ve been waiting in line my entire life. Do you have any idea how many hours of my life were wasted waiting for things. And now I arrive at the gates of heaven and you have the audacity to treat me this way. You asked us if we’d mind waiting and then you shut the gate before we could answer. Well, I’m tired of waiting. And what was it with those other two. You take both of them before me forcing me to wait again. If this is heaven then things have to change.”

Saint Peter looked at her and said, “Well you have to answer one question.”

“Fine,” said the woman. “Just don’t make me wait. What’s the question?”

Saint Peter cleared his throat and said, “How do you spell Czechoslovakia?