I had the unique privilege of being interviewed by Father Ron Lengwin on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh. He makes the entire two hours just fly by; his very gentle interviewing style makes you feel as if you are sitting with him in his study or on a pew at the back of his church.
We discussed my second book, More Glimpses of Heaven, and where and how we discover God’s presence through the people he places around us, especially when we are close to death and he is calling us home.
He discussed one story after another, asking questions and pointing out the face and heart of Jesus where he found them. He spoke of the people in the book; he was moved by the new nurse who placed one long-stem American Beauty rose on my sister Maureen’s heart after she died. The nurse had no way of knowing the red rose had been my parents’ symbol of love for each other and for Maureen all their lives.
He spoke of the love a son, who was dying of AIDS at the time, lavished on his mother as she too was near death. He pointed out the unconditional love she had for her son and how much like Jesus she was. We have only to see clearly to recognize his face and heart in so many circumstances of life.
Father Lengwin invited callers to comment or share a story during the interview. One young man called to say he worked in a factory with high levels of electricity. An accident occurred during which 484 volts of electricity shot through his body and he was declared dead at the scene. He remembered a warm, pulsating sensation throughout his body and after a long period of time he was revived by a rescue squad doing CPR and woke up looking at the enormous clouds above him.
He was hospitalized for one month and awakened with the realization that he had lost his memory for a while. A very insightful nurse asked him if he’d had any visions or experiences when the accident happened. He said he distinctly remembered waking up and being engulfed with the feeling of total love and peace—being utterly embraced by the warmth of God’s love. When he recuperated he spoke at many churches and gatherings, telling everyone who would listen, “There really is a God, and he loves you.” He said his life would never be the same.
