When God begins to draw one of his children home to himself, he does so in the way that he knows they will best be able to receive him.
Sometimes his love and words come through a pastor, rabbi or priest. Sometimes a friend forgives a long ago hurt and they experience the healing hand of God.
At times he surrounds a person with himself through friends, loving children and grandchildren. But when wounds are deep and dark secrets dwell in a soul, he often comes as the Holy Spirit to enlighten from within. God literally speaking to a soul, wooing, comforting, forgiving and placing peace where only pain and hurt once lived.
You can see it in the eyes of an imminently dying patient who has experienced a quiet reverie of unresponsiveness. During these times, the patient does not respond to anyone or anything and appears to be in a coma. Then, upon awakening, a loved one will ask the question, “Where have you been?” The answer is often, “ I have been with God.” A new peace surfaces that defies all human understanding and once again you can see clearly the compassionate heart of Jesus at work.
I invite you to share your story of a “glimpse of heaven” experience or ask questions related to end-of-life situations by emailing me at glimpsesofheaven@guideposts.org. I envision this “Glimpses of Heaven” blog evolving into an interactive sharing of life and death experiences through which we come to understand that the face of God is as close to us as we are to ourselves.
