The following is a very interesting story, that moves me every time I think about it. I hope it will lighten the life of many of you when going through the ordeal of the death of a loved one. This is about my wife Judy and what she did for a broken family last week.
Sandy moved to Idaho from Texas a few months ago because of some problem which she had with her two children. She never explained what it was, only that it was too emotional for her to talk about. She was bothered horribly by it, and especially by her son not caring enough to call or visit when he knew for several months that she was dying of cancer. Her daughter did visit and stay maybe three days, back a month or so ago, which put her and the daughter on good terms. But the absent sons refusal to even call bothered her horribly.
We didn't know Sandy until the day she picked up one of Judys books at a local business, and upon reading of Judys account about her dying, and being raised from the dead, looked us up. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly after arriving in Idaho, given only a few months to live, and was really afraid to die. She wanted someone to stand by her when the time came, and reasure her. She was a Christian and felt at peace about meeting her maker, but was afraid of the anguish, or pain of dying. She was hospitilized only a few days after looking us up, and we began visiting her regularly.
The thing that intrigues me is Judy, and her knowing ahead of many things. How she knows 'spirit things', simply by a feel, in her spirit. She lives it so serenely, quiet and sure, that I've never been really able to comprehend what makes her tick. So hears the story.
Judy knew in advance when she needed to call the hospital to see how Sandy was doing. She just felt an urgency to call. She hadn't been going in to see Sandy too often because the hosp staff said many people were visiting her. (Just small town people who never knew her, before. When Judy called yesterday afternoon the hosp staff told her they didn't think Sandy would last all night. I had a man here working so Judy fixed us supper early, and when done feeding us, took off for the hospital, at 4 P.M. Both Sandys kids were there, both exhausted, as they had been woke up at 2 that morning and flew in from Texas. Sandy was drugged out so she couldn't talk, so her kids saw it as nothing but a silent waiting ordeal. Judy told them to sleep and she would wake them when the time got close, so the son slept for almost 9 hours, nonstop, while the daughter slept a bit less than 4 hours. A local pastor who stayed through the whole vigil, also slept a few hours. Remember, Judy, has some real personal experience in dying, though she had never watched a person die before, so she talked to Sandy quite a bit, till her daughter asked why she talked. Mom can't hear. Judy said, Yes she can, in her spirit. Then she convinced the daughter to talk to her some. She also matter of factly told them that Sandy wouldn't last till morning, which quite shocked them, and raised a few questions as to how she could know. Judy answered them just as matter factly, because I can read her vital signs! (The doc had said that she might not last till morning but also that she might live as long as three days.)
About 3 P.M., nearly a 12 hour wait for Judy, she told the daughter, wake your brother up, his mother needs him! Then, when the son was awake,told him to go to his mother, tell her you are here and that you love her. Tell her she can go now. She will hear you, even though it doesn't seem like it. She needs to know that you love her. He went to her, took her hand, kissed her forehead and put his hand on her head, but was too macho to say anything. Since he would not say anything, Judy said, while he was doing this. Sandy, your son is here and he loves you. You can stop your struggleing now and go home to heaven. (She named the son of coarse.) As Judy finished speaking the son very gently and loveingly stroked her forehead, twice! The second stroke was in exact timing with Judys last words. Sandy had been gasping for air and tossing her head all night, but when Judy said that, and her son did what he did, she immediately relaxed and died as peaceful and sweet as any one could dream to go! The son and others there were completely stupefied, and totally convinced that she heard them, and let go of life when she finally knew her son cared!
Yes, all four and the nurse cried for a few minutes. Then Judy said. We can be happy now, because she is done suffering and we know she is in heaven. They all smilled and agreed with her. The Sting of death was gone! (The subject and this last statement is part of a verse from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15, 55.)
Judy stayed there and comforted them, as did the preacher, for a half hour or so after Sandy died, and got home at 4:30 this morning. Amazingly she didn't even look tired, though she was exhausted.
I've told this story because I've heard of so many deaths where relitives and friends wished they would have been able to talk. To settle hard feelings mostly. But because they were certain the dying unconcious person could not hear, they kept silence. What Judy did, I've never heard of anyone doing before, but it clearly settled Sandys most unsettling concern, and most importantly it put a healing into her son which will help him for the rest of his life. -- If hearing when unconcious is an unproven thing, remember that Jesus said all thing are possible to those that believe. Judy believed, and gave her time and energy to help someone we really didn't know. Jesus said that all things are possible to those that believe.
