Yes, Virginia--Jesus Really is Real..

It was about 6:20pm 3/2/07 when the Lord had me sit down. Something had changed in my spirit. Grandma had been battling the final stages of cancer and that day was dying. It's was rough for all involved.

I felt led to start reading in Ecclesiastes. I felt tired and drained having been "up" and "down" all day with normal emotions of grief. She had only a few hours to a few days but the doctors said only a few hours most likely. My mother and some of my grandmother's co-workers were able to be there with her.

For many years up until recently as far as we can tell, Grandma had openly refused the gospel of Christ

It was my belief when she became ill this time that NOW she was coming into the Kingdom of God. I declared it and prayed and prayed and prayed. I didn't doubt. I knew she would accept Christ.

When the hospital called my mother that afternoon, the staff let my mother talk to her as they weren't sure if she would make it by the time my mother arrived. My mother witnessed to her again about Jesus. "Mom, Jesus loves you. He is real and I want to be able to see you in heaven one day. I know you're scared. I love you and Jesus loves you more than anything in the whole world and He is there waiting for you and I want you to be there in heaven. I want you to know Jesus. He's safe, He's trustworthy and loving and I want you to see Him and go to Him and not be afraid."

By the time my mother reached the hospital, my grandmother was in a state where she could not respond. For the next six hours she had songs sang to her, a harpist from the hospital come in and play for her for awhile, and scriptures were read to her. She could hear everything but not respond. The only indication of her understanding was her breathing. It slowed and relaxed at the sound of my mother's voice.

I didn't know what had happened during that time until my mother called me later that evening. At the time noted above I began to read Eccl 3:1-2 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;..."

When I read "a time to die" it stuck out and hit me. It was like it was highlighted and held above the page even though I had not highlighted it. I knew that Grandma had died then. I began to cry and I could hear the Lord say to me, "It's ok, its ok..its ok..." His voice was soft and comforting. "Close your eyes."

So I closed them and what I saw was precious and breath-taking...

Jesus was sitting on the edge of my grandma's hospital bed. He was looking at her body as if she had been taking a peaceful nap. His voice was calm, confident, and full of joy when he called her by name, "Virginia." He stretched out His hand.

I saw her reach out hers and sit up out of her body. Her spirit was blue and white and yet I could tell she was 30-something all at the same time. Her hair was long down to almost the middle of her back and she was so, so magnificently beautiful. She took His hand.

The way He looked at her was as if she was the only one He's loved, as if He had been in love with her for ages and He was looking forward to THIS moment when He could personally escort her into His arms.

It was such a deep love. A permanent love. A love that never doubted or wavered

She looked at Him with complete trust and peace. She readily went to His side. She knew for the first time in her life that she didn't have to worry about anything-ever again-and she was full of joy.

I sobbed.

"She's with me," I could hear Him say. Just in my spirit, I could hear it. Thank you Jesus!

"Lord, what if that's only me? What if that's just me...wanting to see that because I wanted it so badly? Please take her with you," I said. "Please." While she was here, we never knew from her own mouth if she accepted the Lord, but in this I know she had. God knows the condition of our heart and our thoughts. He did not forsake her cry.

After this I felt a deep sense of peace, a relief. I felt ok enough to run an errand. Just as I got back about 7 something, my mother called me to inform me that she passed about 6:20pm.

That was confirmation. He did take her to Himself

That was last week.

Per her request, we did not hold a formal service. We took her cremated remains to her favorite place in Seaside, Oregon. The rocky beach. A place where the surfers dive in to satisfy their need for freedom. She often loved sitting there watching the surf and the surfers alike. My younger brother walked out to the beach to find a place to lay her to rest. I waited in the car with my children.

My mother came back with a unique necklace, black beads with three long spikes of another softer material.

"It must have belonged to one of the surfers," I said.

"Oh, yes, mother would have loved this," she hung it around the rear view mirror.

We all strolled out to the rocky beach then. It was quiet and surreal. The ocean was the only thing you could hear. I stood afar with the children. My mother and brother went out. My brother took the bag of remains to the edge of the water. We waited. Our hearts seemed to stop as tears welled up within us.

This was it. We were saying goodbye for the final time.

The waves seemed only to tease my brother. Here it comes, here it comes, and then nope! It receded as quickly as it came. You could see my brother breathe deeply. He took two steps out onto some protruding rocks.

The wind changed from blowing inland to blowing out to sea. At the same moment a larger wave came in and crashed up against my brother's legs to his thighs. The force should have knocked him over, but he stood steadfast, determined, then turned the bag upside down. The remains fell in and were whisked out with the wave. It began to rain. My brother stood and saluted.

It was magical, beautiful, and perfect. We had to explain why we were crying to my oldest. As we climbed into the car, surfers pulled up. "Well, she always did like to watch the surfers," said my brother.

"Now she'll have a really good view!" We laughed and felt peace. It was what she would have wanted.

Anyone that knew my grandmother knew several things. Even at the age of 83 she still worked full time for the attorney's VanNatta & Peterson in St. Helens, Oregon. She had served there faithfully for nearly 40 years and in the last at least 20 years had not taken a vacation. This was by her own choosing.

She got up everyday and dressed her best, work day or not. She took time to enjoy classical movies, lively political debates on local issues, and quilting. She was firm and strong having endured the depression in the early 1900's, the rise of the industrial age, seeing wars of many kinds, survived her one and only husband and then survived and thrived for 20 plus years after his passing, and was able to see the political landscape of today.

She was an extremely hard worker, never skipping a beat. She loved her daughters, her grandkids, and her great-grand children. My grandmother was someone who often worked behind the scenes. She was known to many and cherished by many.

None of these things, however, is why she went to heaven. Nothing she did got her to heaven.

She went to heaven because she recognized she had committed sins against God during her lifetime. Whether it be in deed or thought or motive of the heart, she knew God saw it all. There was nothing to be hidden from Him. Thankfully, she had time to ponder this in her heart-listen to her conscience. By faith she accepted the death that Jesus died for her sins. It was only by His shed blood that she could stand before a Holy, Just, Loving, Pure God at her death and know she was forgiven.

If you are reading this and I have never met you, please know that in the words of my mother, "Jesus is real and He loves you more than anything in the whole world. He died for the forgiveness of your sins." All you have to do is recognize your sin and that all of it has been against the God who created you. Turn away from it and tell God you are sorry. Pour out your heart to Him and tell God you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life.

John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me."

You never know how long you have before you die. You're dead a lot longer than you are alive. You maybe have heard about this Jesus and Him dying to pay for your sins. Ponder it now. Don't wait. Some people die prematurely and instantaneously in freak accidents. As some have said, "Dying wasn't on their 'to-do' list that day."

If you are breathing, you have a chance to consider and ponder this. Jesus already paid the price for us. Its up to each person to decide if they want to accept that free gift by faith or not.

Choose wisely. Choose life. Choose Jesus.

As my grandmother joyfully found, Yes, Virginia...Jesus is real and alive and because of Him she escaped the jaws of hell! Long live the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords-Jesus! Amen!