There is one thing about Billy Graham, that I have always marveled at. Every time I hear him give one of his talks, he talks about what a wretched sinner HE is! This is true HUMILITY and should be in all of us as Christians! This man has roots that would make a four thousand year old cedar tree tremble!
I remember every time Billy Graham was on, my Mother had the TV tuned in to watch him! She didn't act much like a Christian, and could be quite abusive, but when she passed, well, let's just say that God showed Himself to me in a marvelous way! I used to worry: "Did I witness to my Mom about Jesus enough? Is she going to heaven?" I knew for years that when she died, I would feel tortured over the "not knowing."
Three days before she passed, I got a phone call. My Step Dad told me she was the most lucid she had been in weeks and that they were taking her back to the hospital to see if there was anything else they could do for her. Just before the ambulance arrived, I talked to her. I told her "I love you Mommy. Please fight! Keep fighting for us! I don't want to lose you! Besides, what would Rod do without you?" He took the phone and said, "She's crying! What did you say to her?" I didn't tell him until a few years later what it was I actually said. I just couldn't break his heart, when it was already breaking.
After I hung up the phone, I said out loud, "Oh Mom, you're going to go and leave us on JFK's anniversary!" Then the worst guilt....she wouldn't let me come see her from the time she was diagnosed with colon cancer and when I talked to her that day, I asked her, "Should I come now Mom," and she said, "No wait till Rod tells you to come." I was upset that I hadn't been down to see her, and the guilt immediately set in, "What are her friends going to say? I never even went to see her, or say goodbye?"
Suddenly, I was enveloped in what felt like a cocoon of peace! And then, I heard the words, "It's okay, she's mine." I then began to cry. The peace was there, and then gone in an instant!
How gracious is God to reach out to me and let me know where she was going to be? He knew I would've tortured myself emotionally, and I got a lot of grace that most people never get! Why me? I don't know, but I am SO GRATEFUL! (Thank you Lord!)! I had tried for years to witness to her and here was this moment, this ONE SECOND of such powerful peace, that it was totally unexplainable, just as the bible says! "Peace that surpasses all understanding." (Philippians 4:7).
My Mother, Beverly Jean, at age 74, passed on November 22, 2009. The anniversary of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was her favorite President (2nd only to Ronald Reagan), and even though I was only 1 year and 3 months old, I remember the way she and my Dad embraced and cried the day he was killed. I don't know why I remember, but I do! It's something I will never forget. So not only did God give me that unbelievable peace about where she was going, HE GAVE ME THE DAY SHE WOULD BE GOING HOME! HOW ABSOLUTELY AMAZING IS THAT?
At her funeral, the Pastor talked about a black water beetle that lives in Africa. He said that when the beetle dies, it's shell opens and releases hundreds of beautiful little baby dragonflies into the air. My Mom loved dragonfly jewelry! (I think he must've been the one who was visiting her in the hospital because he knew that!). Then we were late for the graveside service, because we hadn't lived in Southern California for over 25 years and nobody waited for us! There was no processional, so we wound up in downtown LA instead of at Rose Hills in Whittier! But God wasn't done showing me HIS POWER! We were SUPPOSED to be late, because God's timing is ALWAYS PERFECT! When we arrived, (20 minutes late), we sat down, and the Pastor said, "Let us pray." Goody two shoes me, I bowed my head and closed my eyes. But none of my Mom's friends did! I loved them, but they were a classy bunch of heathens! lol.
Later at my Mom's house where the reception was held, everyone was asking "Did you see it? Did you see it?" I'm like "See what?" Then I was told, that a beautiful dragonfly, floated over the beautiful red roses that draped her casket, right in front of her picture. I never saw it, but I didn't need to! Too many others saw it and I took their word for it! Someone told me later that the Pastor was tapped on the shoulder, and they pointed to my Mother's casket and even he saw it! It was the WOW factor X 1 Million! It was all anyone talked about at my Mom's reception! They were all BLOWN AWAY! I'm sure some thought it was a coincidence, but not me! I knew that God was confirming that what I felt and heard Him say to me was true! My Mom was in heaven and that I would see her again some day!
Oh what gracious peace God gave me over her death! It's going on five years and her photo's, which were never displayed in my home before she died, are still up. Knowing where she was, I was able not just to forgive her but I was also able to remember Her in a better way, and to honor her like I had never honored her before. And for that Lord, I will eternally be grateful!
It was announced on K-Love today, that Billy Graham is going to be making another video and releasing it this next fall. I for one, will definitely not be missing it! If you haven't seen "MY HOPE" with Billy Graham and you have NetFlix, check it out. It's on the Faith and Spirituality page.
May God Richly Bless You all today, and show Himself to you in an amazing way as He did for me that particular day! I feel His presence often when I am praying, and I tell you with certainty, that after that experience, I will never be the same. Jesus is my Rescue! He rescues me from myself almost every day! If I go more than two days without watching a sermon, or reading the Word, I get a bit down. I have health problems that keep me from attending church at present, and I'm waiting for the miraculous healing power of God to fall upon me so that I can give my testimony about His power and how it has affected my life!
"Oh what a foretaste of Glory Divine!"
I remember every time Billy Graham was on, my Mother had the TV tuned in to watch him! She didn't act much like a Christian, and could be quite abusive, but when she passed, well, let's just say that God showed Himself to me in a marvelous way! I used to worry: "Did I witness to my Mom about Jesus enough? Is she going to heaven?" I knew for years that when she died, I would feel tortured over the "not knowing."
Three days before she passed, I got a phone call. My Step Dad told me she was the most lucid she had been in weeks and that they were taking her back to the hospital to see if there was anything else they could do for her. Just before the ambulance arrived, I talked to her. I told her "I love you Mommy. Please fight! Keep fighting for us! I don't want to lose you! Besides, what would Rod do without you?" He took the phone and said, "She's crying! What did you say to her?" I didn't tell him until a few years later what it was I actually said. I just couldn't break his heart, when it was already breaking.
After I hung up the phone, I said out loud, "Oh Mom, you're going to go and leave us on JFK's anniversary!" Then the worst guilt....she wouldn't let me come see her from the time she was diagnosed with colon cancer and when I talked to her that day, I asked her, "Should I come now Mom," and she said, "No wait till Rod tells you to come." I was upset that I hadn't been down to see her, and the guilt immediately set in, "What are her friends going to say? I never even went to see her, or say goodbye?"
Suddenly, I was enveloped in what felt like a cocoon of peace! And then, I heard the words, "It's okay, she's mine." I then began to cry. The peace was there, and then gone in an instant!
How gracious is God to reach out to me and let me know where she was going to be? He knew I would've tortured myself emotionally, and I got a lot of grace that most people never get! Why me? I don't know, but I am SO GRATEFUL! (Thank you Lord!)! I had tried for years to witness to her and here was this moment, this ONE SECOND of such powerful peace, that it was totally unexplainable, just as the bible says! "Peace that surpasses all understanding." (Philippians 4:7).
My Mother, Beverly Jean, at age 74, passed on November 22, 2009. The anniversary of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was her favorite President (2nd only to Ronald Reagan), and even though I was only 1 year and 3 months old, I remember the way she and my Dad embraced and cried the day he was killed. I don't know why I remember, but I do! It's something I will never forget. So not only did God give me that unbelievable peace about where she was going, HE GAVE ME THE DAY SHE WOULD BE GOING HOME! HOW ABSOLUTELY AMAZING IS THAT?
At her funeral, the Pastor talked about a black water beetle that lives in Africa. He said that when the beetle dies, it's shell opens and releases hundreds of beautiful little baby dragonflies into the air. My Mom loved dragonfly jewelry! (I think he must've been the one who was visiting her in the hospital because he knew that!). Then we were late for the graveside service, because we hadn't lived in Southern California for over 25 years and nobody waited for us! There was no processional, so we wound up in downtown LA instead of at Rose Hills in Whittier! But God wasn't done showing me HIS POWER! We were SUPPOSED to be late, because God's timing is ALWAYS PERFECT! When we arrived, (20 minutes late), we sat down, and the Pastor said, "Let us pray." Goody two shoes me, I bowed my head and closed my eyes. But none of my Mom's friends did! I loved them, but they were a classy bunch of heathens! lol.
Later at my Mom's house where the reception was held, everyone was asking "Did you see it? Did you see it?" I'm like "See what?" Then I was told, that a beautiful dragonfly, floated over the beautiful red roses that draped her casket, right in front of her picture. I never saw it, but I didn't need to! Too many others saw it and I took their word for it! Someone told me later that the Pastor was tapped on the shoulder, and they pointed to my Mother's casket and even he saw it! It was the WOW factor X 1 Million! It was all anyone talked about at my Mom's reception! They were all BLOWN AWAY! I'm sure some thought it was a coincidence, but not me! I knew that God was confirming that what I felt and heard Him say to me was true! My Mom was in heaven and that I would see her again some day!
Oh what gracious peace God gave me over her death! It's going on five years and her photo's, which were never displayed in my home before she died, are still up. Knowing where she was, I was able not just to forgive her but I was also able to remember Her in a better way, and to honor her like I had never honored her before. And for that Lord, I will eternally be grateful!
It was announced on K-Love today, that Billy Graham is going to be making another video and releasing it this next fall. I for one, will definitely not be missing it! If you haven't seen "MY HOPE" with Billy Graham and you have NetFlix, check it out. It's on the Faith and Spirituality page.
May God Richly Bless You all today, and show Himself to you in an amazing way as He did for me that particular day! I feel His presence often when I am praying, and I tell you with certainty, that after that experience, I will never be the same. Jesus is my Rescue! He rescues me from myself almost every day! If I go more than two days without watching a sermon, or reading the Word, I get a bit down. I have health problems that keep me from attending church at present, and I'm waiting for the miraculous healing power of God to fall upon me so that I can give my testimony about His power and how it has affected my life!
"Oh what a foretaste of Glory Divine!"
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