I would like to share with you an experience I had when my father died that changed my Faith to Belief. I hope that this story will provide hope and strength for others.
After discovering he had cancer and going through the treatments of chemotherapy and radiation, my father decided that the cure was worse that the disease and when faced with the prospect of prolonging his pain and suffering with further treatments he decided to return home and let life run it's course.
The pain of the cancer was tremendous and in his last few days he slipped into a coma. During the second day of his coma I was sitting at his bedside holding his hand and I felt the only thing I could at this point was to offer an intercessory prayer and call on the promise that Jesus made
“Whenever two or more are gathered in my name, I shall be there also.”
As I was saying my prayer a tremendous feeling of peace came over me. Suddenly all the feelings of sadness, anxiety and grief flowed out of me and the most wonderful feeling of peace flooded my body. It was the most remarkable feeling and I could feel it coming from the direction of the foot of the bed, like you feel the radiant heat from a stove. I turned, fully expecting to see someone or something there, but there was nothing I could see, only peace literally flooding me. I studied the end of the room closely for what seemed like a long time and as I turned back to my father I was surprised to see his eyes open for the first time in a couple of days. He was just looking at me with a peaceful expression and I remember thinking, “Gee Dad, I never noticed how blue your eyes were”. And while I was thinking, “What a dumb thing to be thinking at a time like this,” my Dad closed his eyes, slipped back into a coma. The feeling of peace seemed to withdraw toward the corner of the room and my father died early the next morning.
I believe I was allowed to share in something quite miraculous and
have felt compelled to share my experience with others. What I have taken from this
experience is a belief that Jesus will keep his promises if you ask, a
knowledge that there is another life beyond this one , a renewed Christian Faith and
belief in the power of prayer.
Addendum:
When my daughter was about 9 years old we were telling ghost stories and she asked me if I believed in ghosts and I told her that there are things that exist even though we can not see them and I told her about the experience I had when her Grandpa died. I had never told anyone that story before, I'm not sure why, but when I finished the story she explained it to me. She said, "Dad, when you you turned toward Grandpa he wasn't looking at you, he was looking at Jesus."
WOW! The light finally came on! I'll never forget that. Her response was so quick, clear, and simple, and explained so much. It was the face of Jesus my Dad was looking at, who was working through me.
I had tried to rationalize and explain the experience, but it took a child to see it.
“ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.