Some months are particularly difficult months in terms of memories. They see anniversaries of deep loss come and go. Somebody once said 'how strange it is, to think that we pass the anniversary of our death every year not knowing which day it will be'. The day our soul will slip invisibly from this tangible, material, everyday world, into the timeless existence of the never-ending hereafter. Do you believe in an ever after? I guess it's much easier not to - but does that belief change what will be?
The morning my mother-in-law died we had a very strange experience. I was woken by a light, piercingly bright, streaming through our bedroom window. I remember curling up beneath the duvet, screwing my fists into my eyes to stop the piercing beams from hurting them. 'Heaven is calling, heaven is calling' said a voice as I struggled to withstand the light's white beams. Struggling for breath I cautiously opened my eyes...and was astonished to find the room absolutely dark. Shaking I looked at the clock - 5.15 am. No light in the window at all. Utter darkness! I remembered my prayer before sleep had finally engulfed me, pleading with the Lord for my husband to have time to say 'goodbye' to his mum. Should we go down to see her? Was the Lord telling me the time was near? My restless worry soon woke my sleeping husband. 'You ok' I asked. 'Yes,' he said 'but it's odd..as I slept I heard a voice...it was saying 'it's time to meet the Lord. It's time to meet the Lord.'
I am ashamed to say that we didn't dash out into the cold dawn bold in faith as we should have done. Instead, our whispered doubt was interrupted at 5:40 am by the telephone. It was no surprise to hear a broken voice say 'Can you come... I'm down at Dad's ... she's gone to be with the Lord'.
Difficult though it is to look death in the eye, we all need to do so one day. Have you ever felt like you were standing on the threshold of that other world? We cannot hide from God's presence like I tried to hide from the light. A leap of faith is required, responding to His call, believing that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God and that He lived here with the express purpose of dying instead of us. Through His death and resurrection, He offers us life - an ever after with Him in heaven, 'a place that has to be believed to be seen'. Will you be there?
Written by a guest blogger
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