Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. . . . Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.—Matthew 5:1–2, 7 (NIV)

“Sally” came to the hospital after overdosing on heroin. Luckily, prompt medical care saved her life. When I visited with her, she remembered “floating in the air and looking into the kitchen of a house where a woman lay on the floor.” Soon, she sensed a Being of Light next to her. She didn’t feel judged by the Being of Light; only loved. The Being directed her to look at the woman, who was apparently near death. When Sally looked, she realized it was her but, strangely, she felt totally detached from herself. The Being encouraged her to be as compassionate to the woman on the floor as the Being was with her. She then woke up in the hospital. 

When I asked her who this Being was, she said she didn’t know. I was disappointed that she didn’t say Jesus. That would have been my answer. After our conversation, I went to the chapel to pray. But soon, my disappointment turned to peace when in prayer I realized that the Being of Light (Jesus) was asking me to be as compassionate toward the woman as He had been. I also felt Jesus asking me to realize there have been many times when I didn’t recognize Him either. And even then, God had been merciful and accepting of me. As I sat in silence, I prayed for the gift to see clearly and to recognize God in the many ways He comes to bless me.