Unveiled Hope
Brothers, we do not want you to be
ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of
men, who have no hope.
1Thesalonians 4:13
Mary Jane Phillips lay in a bed in her daughter’s kitchen, in
the final stages of what appeared to be cancer. As her daughter cared for her,
she sat up in bed and said, “Oh, my! There’s Mrs. Leonard!”
Everyone present was amazed as she named off several dead relatives
and long-gone friends. It appeared as if Mary Jane was being given a view through
the portals of Heaven. She continued to name people who were long-forgotten, even
people who had passed away recently. And then, she said, “And Mrs. Sader, too!”
at which point the family figured she must be hallucinating, because Mrs. Sader
was very much alive. They had just spoken to her that morning.
Just then, the telephone rang and one of the girls answered
it. A startled look crossed her face. As she hung up the phone, she announced
in an astonished voice, “Mrs. Sader passed away just a little while ago!”
Only minutes later, Mary Jane Phillips joined Mrs. Sader as
she met Jesus face-to-face.
†
This event changed my mother’s life, for having listened to her
Grandmother speak so candidly about Heaven brought the certainty of its truth to
her heart and spirit. She has never known a fear of dying because Grandma
Phillips had unveiled the mystery of death to a six-year-old that day.
In this same way Paul wants us to know the hope he
professes; that on the day God calls us home we will be greeted by our
loved-ones and friends as we enter Heaven to be with Jesus.
Prayer
“Give me the
certainty of my true home, Lord, and take away any vestiges of fear of death.
Speak to my spirit of the reality of Heaven. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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