I always wondered
how I would handle the passing of a very
close loved one and I learned last
month.
The answer is:
wonderfully, even amidst profound
sadness.
My religious faith
and in-depth knowledge about spiritual
realities was an immense assistance
during the darkest moments.
I don't know how
anyone can handle the deep grief that
accompanies such an apparent loss
without knowing life is eternal.
The words "apparent
loss" aptly describe the dilemma we face
when a loved one departs from this
world. To our physical
senses, it
certainly appears they have disappeared
forever. We can't see, touch, smell,
feel, or--if you were really
close--taste them. If we only believe
in what the five senses report, we
really have lost them.
Fortunately, a huge
amount of varied evidence strongly
proves that death is just another stage
of life. It is just as important,
timely, and safe as birth, puberty,
middle age, and older age.
There are nine
categories of evidence that we are
immortal spiritual beings. Five of
these were involved with Dad's passing:
- After Death
Contacts: Dad's spiritual presence was
obvious to several family members after
he crossed over. Lights flickered when
we talked about him, doors opened and
closed, and objects were moved
inexplicably.
- Near Death
Experiences: Dad had one of these in
2001 and felt it contributed to his
almost total lack of fear about passing
on.
- Paranormal Input:
A close family friend has extrasensory
abilities and saw Dad on several
occasions after his body stopped
functioning. For example, she saw him
standing by the altar and smiling during
his funeral.
Before he died, she
saw the apparition of an older woman
near Dad and described her in great
detail. He got tears in his eyes and
said that perfectly described his
Grandma Agnes who he helped a lot when
she was dying. Now
she had come to help him make his
transition.
Knowing that was a
great comfort to him.
- Religious Input:
Catholicism, the religion of his youth,
was very important to Dad. He enjoyed
the services and Bible study and
assisted in several aspects of the
church's outreaches.
- Firsthand
Experience: As a result of all the
above, Dad had a very deep personal
certainty about the reality of God and
afterlife. He spoke about the Lord as
though he were describing an old and
very
dear friend. Dad
knew that God was always there and his
faith never
wavered.
I hope this sharing
of my personal experiences deepens your
faith and resolute knowing about your
spiritual nature. Then you'll be
prepared when you or a loved one pass
over. You'll also experience more joy
and enthusiasm--not pain and fear--about
every aspect of life even the difficult
and challenging times.
