Category: Spiritual Experiences

car with front left flat tire

Coincidence or God Incidence?| Spiritual Meditations

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It happens all the time. Something surprising and fortuitous falls into place just as you would wish and just at the right time. And you wonder if some metaphysical force had something to do with it. Was it a coincidence or a God incidence? I’m going to tell you about two firsthand experiences, that I have to believe were conducted by God. Let me know what you think.

How Many Incidents are Too Many?

My husband, Bob, and I were traveling from Atlanta to near Tampa, a 455-mile drive on interstate 75. We had just finished working the two-week January gift show and our car trunk was full of products.

Suddenly the car in front of us swerved to the left and a second later we found out why. Directly in front of us was a stack of wooden pallets example ofwhat was hit by ar in God incidentwooden pallet that had fallen off a truck and we were headed straight for it. In spite of my husband’s efforts to avoid the pallet, there were cars all around us and we had no choice but to hit it. The collision caused us to violently swerve and spin around.  I was expecting the impact of another car, but it never came.  We, eventually stopped on the side of the road as the traffic whizzed by, terrified, but amazed, that we hadn’t been hit by one or more cars and badly injured.

After somewhat calming his nerves, my husband slowly continued down the highway. It only took moments before we realized the car had been damaged and would need immediate repairs. We pulled off the highway at the next exit where we were surprised to find a tire and repair shop. It was midafternoon and they were still open and able to make the repairs while we waited.

Replacing 2 tires and 3 chrome rims allowed us to continue our journey but now it was dark outside. A few miles down the road the car started sputtering which produced the dreadful sinking feeling. Because of the chaos of the last few hours, Bob had forgotten that he had been looking for a gas station before the accident. Once again, we pulled off the highway at the next exit.

This was an uphill exit so we could only coast part way. Bob walked to the top to find only empty space. We were in a rural area of South Georgia. It was cold and dark and there were no lights anywhere.

Not having AAA roadside service, we called 911. After what seemed like hours, a police woman with a bad cold arrived. She was there to provide security, but we still needed to obtain gas ourselves. It was miles to a gas station.

As we considered our option, a man in a pickup truck pulled in front of us and asked if he could help. Appraised of our situation, he offered to return with some gas. In the meantime, my husband couldn’t let the sick police woman stand in the cold by herself, so out he went. Twenty minutes later we started to wonder if our truck driver would be back.

Thankfully, he did return. It was when he got out of his truck that we could see that he had long hair and a beard and around his neck was a giant Christian cross. He poured the gas into our tank, we thanked him profusely, and offered him money to pay for the gas, which he adamantly refused. We started the car….well, we attempted to start the car.

We had initially made several attempts to get to the top of the ramp. And because we had the emergency light on since we stopped, our battery was now dead. But our Good Samaritan hadn’t left yet. So back he went to get charger cables.

A while later we were finally able to continue our trip. However, by now, I don’t think the police woman thought us capable of taking care of ourselves. So, she followed us to the next exit where we could get gas. We were so grateful for her care that we pulled a few gift items out of the trunk and, against her protest, we insisted that she take them.

As we entered the restaurant next to the gas station, we were exhausted and emotionally drained. But also, giddy and laughing at how unbelievable the day had been. We had made it out alive.

We survived the accident without a scratch. We found a tire garage immediately at the first exit. A Good Samaritan went out of his way, twice, to help. God incident? Maybe God was making our crooked path straight. What do you think?

September 11, 2001 – World Trade Center

In August of 2001, my husband, Bob and I were in NY city for a trade show. We represented several gift manufacturers and were negotiating with another company to represent them as well. The new company had a small office and 7 employees at the World Trade Center and wanted us to visit their office after the trade show and before leaving town. As much as we would have liked to do so, we were unable to fit the visit into our schedule.

On Sept 11, 2001, I was in my home office. Bob was on the phone with a lady at one of the companies we worked with, who told him that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I ran to the TV to see what was being broadcast and I watched as the 2nd plane flew into the side of the 2nd tower. This was obviously, no accident. Our first concern was for the people that we had met, who worked there.  It took several anxious days before we were able to connect with anyone from the company. The story they told was nothing less than a miracle.

The owner of the company was delayed in leaving a trade show in Boston. As a result, she asked an employee to cover for her at a 2nd trade show, so neither of them was at their office. A third employee was running late and a fourth had to drop off her child at daycare before coming in. She was on the bridge crossing into Manhattan when the 1st plane struck. The fifth employee stayed home with the flu and the 6th had left the building to run some errands. The 7th company employee was at the printer’s working on their catalog.

No one from the company was at their World Trade Center office on Sept 11th when the planes struck. Someone was taking care of this little group.

What was the latest God incidence you have had?

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 34:7
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Isaiah 45:2
I will go before you and make crooked places straight

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me:

light rays

A Thought-Provoking Question That You Might Face-Spiritual Meditations

On By Spiritual MeditationsIn Spiritual Experiences1 Comment

There are no statistics on how many people are given an opportunity to answer this important question. Some people know what their answer would be while others have not thought about it. If asked, another segment of the population will say it depends on their circumstances at the time. Where do you stand?

This is an experience told to me by a friend of a friend.

Roberta’s Near-Death Experience

It was November 6, 2006 when Roberta and her husband, Al, left Alaska to winter in Arizona for the fourth year. The nighttime flight landed in Phoenix in the early morning after which they had a 3-hour drive to their winter home.

Upon arriving, Al started turning on the utilities and preparing their home for occupancy. Roberta went inside and shortly thereafter experienced the worst headache she’d ever had. When he came inside, Roberta told Al about her headache and he suggested that she lay down. As she turned to do so she blacked out into his arms. As their phone was not yet connected, Al ran to the next-door neighbors to ask them to dial 911.

To the outside world, it looked like Roberta was unconscious, but, for Roberta, there was much more happening. She was drifting toward a light that gradually enveloped her. It was pure and peaceful like nothing she had experienced before. Roberta saw no one, no deceased family, no angels…she was totally alone but unconcerned. It then came to her mind that she had a decision to make. She was being given the choice between heaven and earth…between additional life in the world or eternal life in paradise.

Which would you choose? Would your health or financial situation cause you to select heaven? Or do you have family that you are not ready to leave? Is the prospect of paradise more enticing than your life on earth? Or do you have unfinished projects that you want to complete? This is a big decision that you may get to make, but probably only once…what would you do?

Roberta decided to spend more time with her family and she was immediately returned back in her home. As she was being lifted onto the stretcher, the medics asked what medications she was taking and, surprisingly, Roberta woke up long enough to tell them. This was her last memory until one month later when she awoke in the hospital, survivor of a bleeding brain aneurysm.

It wasn’t until her release and arrival outside her Arizona home that she realized the enormity of what had happened when a neighbor happily greeted her with “There’s our miracle!” Roberta had been a woman of faith but now she was a woman of knowledge. There is an afterlife.

Relevant Scripture

2 Corinthians 6:2 Living Bible (TLB)

For God says, “Your cry came to me at a favorable time, when the doors of welcome were wide open. I helped you on a day when salvation was being offered. Right now God is ready to welcome you. Today he is ready to save you.

 

aangel girl young dark moon cloud

What No One Tells You About Your Dreams|Spiritual Meditations

On By Spiritual MeditationsIn Spiritual Experiences1 Comment

God speaks time and time again—but nobody notices— in a dream or night vision, when a deep sleep falls on mankind while they sleep on their beds.  That’s when He opens the ear of mankind, authenticating His messages  to them.  (Job 33:14-16 (ISV))

They aren’t frequent, but it wasn’t the first dream of its type that Sophia had had, and she recognized it as something out of the ordinary.  She is more receptive to communications from God than the typical person.  It is a gift which hasn’t been squashed by skeptics because her mother, Monica, is also receptive and has taught Sophia to accept such messages.

Sophia had once been to her friend, Tiffany’s, home, five years before, for a baby shower.  Their busy lives did not frequently intersect and they had not spoken in months.  And for some reason, Tiffany popped up in Sophia’s dreams.  The following is the dream she had in the early morning hours before awakening.  Jason is Tiffany’s husband and Joshua is their small son.

Sophia’s Dream

It was January 11, 2019 when I had this dream.

Perspective: My existence was not known nor was I in the dream. I could see what was happening.

Place: Tiffany’s living room. I was looking in from the side of the room that the TV was on.  It appeared to be nighttime; lamps dimly lit the room.

People: Jason and Joshua were laying on the floor to the right of the couch. There were pictures hanging on the wall above it.  Tiffany was also next to Joshua but closer to the kitchen.  She was also on the floor hanging out.

Activity: I could see that Joshua was playing with either a tablet or a toy, I can’t remember, only that he was focused on what he was doing.

Jason was on his side, on the living room floor, his hand and arm propping up his head. He looked very relaxed.

Tiffany’s appearance was different than when I saw her last.  She had long black hair, and bangs. She was wearing some comfortable clothing and she was giggling.  She held a cup which contained white wine. She was sipping the drink throughout the dream, but she was not drunk.

I could see Tiffany get up and look towards the kitchen.  Her feelings then escalated…. she was sad, then upset, then angry, then less so, then yelling and crying. The emotions were a wave pattern; like on an EKG monitor, quick and transitioning.

Jason was still lying there, not paying any attention to what Tiffany was doing or saying. Joshua didn’t seem to notice anything and continued to play next to Jason.  I don’t remember anything Tiffany said, but I could feel her mental turmoil so deeply that it woke me up from the dream.

Delivering God’s Message

Not knowing quite what to make of it, but trusting that she was meant to do something,  Sophia called Tiffany and told her the dream.  They decided to meet at Sophia’s house and then shortly went to Monica’s home to include her in the discussion.

Tiffany confirmed that the description of her house was accurate and that the details of Sophia’s dream depicted an evening at home when there was time to relax. 

Tiffany talked about her job as a wedding photographer.  She spent many late evenings editing photos.  She, Jason and Joshua had very little time together after Jason came home from work and he was often in bed before she finished editing. 

Trying to keep up with her life and feeling the lack of spousal support, Tiffany was frustrated, resentful and self-deprecating.  She was considering psychiatric counseling due to her mood fluctuations.  She also related two situations, which occurred during the Christmas holiday, when she became very angry at Jason and her dad. One explosion was in Joshua’s presence. 

A Life Turned to Greater Harmony

Because Sophia revealed what she saw and the discussion that followed, Tiffany is taking a new approach to her life, making her amazing family a higher priority and her frantic striving for professional success less important.  She now realizes that “rest, recovery, and reflection are essential parts of the progress towards a successful and  happy life”.  Tiffany’s new watchword is “Stop Glorifying Busy”

The swiftness with which Tiffany made a 180 degree turn in her life testifies to how ready she was for what Sophia and Monica had to share with her.  God gave Sophia the right message at the right time, as is His way.  “I believe I was visited by a Higher Being when I was sleeping” explained Sophia “and It showed me what was happening in Tiffany’s home.”

Conclusion

What made this little family so important to God that He intervened?  My feeling is that every family is important to God, but there isn’t always someone listening.

You may ask “How do I know if my dream is inspired by God?”  When God speaks, you will know.  You don’t need to try to read anything into your dreams or hypothesize as to what God is saying.  If your dream is God inspired, He will make it clear to you and you will have no questions.  He is just that good.

Don’t miss out on a message from God. You can become a listener by spending time meditating on spiritual truths that can be found in an inspirational book or the Bible.   How to Meditate to Reach Higher God Consciousness.

 

 

 

 

listening to God prevents car accident

Your Inner Being Could Save Your Life. Are you Listening? |Spiritual Meditations

On By Spiritual MeditationsIn Spiritual Experiences, Your Spiritual Life1 Comment

Have you ever been in a car accident?  In hindsight, could you have avoided it if you had known just one little piece of information…if someone had whispered in your ear, ‘do this’ or ‘don’t do that’ and the whole thing never would have happened?  Thousands of car accidents happen everyday…. but some don’t.

God Awareness

Janelle was in the only car at a stop light one night.   As she was waiting for the light to change, she heard a voice that said “back up”.  Nothing more, nothing less, just that.  “Back up”.  The windows were up and the radio wasn’t on.  No ear buds in use.  But Janelle didn’t stop to wonder where the voice came from or what it could mean.  She put the car in reverse and backed up.  Why?  Because she knew where the voice came from.  Seconds later, two cars, coming from opposite directions, collided in the exact spot where she had been.

Janelle has a very clear connection with God, her Inner Being. It is a connection that she has nurtured through years of prayer, meditation, study and trust. She has cultivated a spiritual sense to become receptive to the thoughts that come from within. When God speaks, she recognizes His voice and follows His direction.

My friend, Tim, who has contributed to this blog, was driving alone down a 4 lane road. As he approached an intersection for which he had the right-of-way, he looked down to adjust the radio. At that point he heard a voice say “Watch out”.  He immediately turned his attention back to the road to find a car stopped across the intersection blocking both lanes of traffic. He was able to swerve around the car avoiding a collision. God spoke, Tim heard and did not question for a moment how to respond. He is spiritually conscious.

Spiritual consciousness is attained through the activity of truth in consciousness.

God is, there is a God–never doubt that.  This God is infinite in nature, eternal, universal, impersonal, impartial, and omnipresent.  But how do we avail  ourselves of that which God is?  How do we bring this that we know about God into our individual experience?

To illustrate we can turn to the field of music.  The principle of music is absolute.  If, however, we fail to understand its principle and the sounds produced turn into a jumble of discordant noises, we do not rail against the principle.  We apply ourselves more diligently to practicing the principle until we become proficient in its application.

So it must be in our God-experience.  God is, and God is here and God is now, but God is available only in proportion to our realization and willingness to accept the discipline that is necessary for the attainment of that mind which was also in Christ Jesus.

Spiritual consciousness is attained through the activity of truth in consciousness.  Dwelling on spiritual quotations or statements of truth helps to spiritualize thought.  The more truth that we read and hear, the more active is truth in our consciousness.  Thus we learn to abide in the Word.  This is the first step on the way.

The second and more important step, is to be able to receive truth from within, to be receptive and responsive to the truth that wells up within us.  Then we do not think, read or hear truth with the mind.  We are becoming aware of the impartation of the word of God from within because the inner ear and the inner eye have been developed through our knowing the letter of truth and dwelling on it.     Joel S Goldsmith Practicing the Presence

God Instructs and More Listen

My friend, Mo, “became aware of the impartation of the word of God from within”  one night when she was driving home from Jacksonville Florida on I-75.  Her husband and four children (ages 1, 3, 5 and 10) were all asleep in the car.  She found herself wondering why a van will flip when no other car or obstruction is involved.  It immediately came to her mind that it is typical for a driver to slam on their brakes to avoid an animal and cause the upset.  Moments later an animal darted across the road in front of her.  Because God had cautioned her and she was receptive to it, she did not touch the brake and the animal disappeared into the night.

Realizing that God had just saved her family, Mo burst into tear of gratitude.   “I just couldn’t stop crying and praying thanks”.

The daughter of a friend was driving alone along a curving road when she heard a voice say “slow down”.  She slowed some, but a few moments later, the voice said more insistently “SLOW DOWN”.  She slowed down some more  In fact she slowed down to the point that as she rounded a curve and a child ran in front of her car, she was able to stop without hitting him.  God had intervened and she responded without question.  No rationalization about what she had heard.

These roadway interventions were casually mentioned to me. I have to deduce that there are many more examples. In fact, it’s likely you know someone who has had a similar experience; someone who has developed a connection with God.

These four people, as well as many others, know when God is speaking to them because of their long-term personal relationship with Him and their willingness to listen and be guided by Hm.  They are well acquainted with the truths in scripture and have frequent conversations with God.  They not only allow, but desire, that His Spirit dwell in them.

God is active in the world.  Connect to Him.  Pay attention.  And enjoy the care He provides.

How do we know when the spirit of God dwells in us?

If we are letting go of hate, envy, jealousy, malice, self-seeking, self-glorification, prejudice and bigotry we are making room for the spirit of God, for God cannot dwell in the midst of such qualities.  As long as these qualities are present in our consciousness, we have more work to do abiding in the truth and letting the truth abide in us, until such time that the Christ has come so alive [within us] that such mortal thoughts no longer touch us.  Then the spirit of God dwells in us,  “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory….Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him”.

Anyone with a sufficient desire for a realization of God can achieve that realization–the grace of God will guarantee it.

Joel S Goldsmith  Practicing the Presence

You can listen to talks by Joel S Goldsmith on the subjects of Your Inner Kingdom and Meditation on this site’s Video page.

Relevant Scripture

Love the Lord and hate evil!  God protects His loyal people and rescues them from violence.  If you obey and do right, a light will show you the way and fill you with happiness.  You are the Lord’s people!  So celebrate and praise the only God.       Psalm 97:10-12 (CEV)

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. Psalm 16:1

 

 

 

 

angel sculpture

Angels in Our Lives…Literally | Spiritual Meditations

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Do angels exist?  I’m not talking about your grandmother or the person that let you cut in line at the grocery.  I’m talking about the messengers of God, the beings who give guidance, protection, care and comfort to us lowly humans.  I’m talking about God’s army or angels.

I’ve never encountered an angel…at least not to my knowledge.  Have you?  The Bible is loaded with them, but I’ve never given much thought as to how they relate to my life.  But this week they are becoming a little more real to me.

My friend, Becky, was hesitant, but I encouraged her to tell us about her beach angel experience.  Here’s is what she shared.

Childlike Acceptance

I grew up in a coastal town with a beautiful harbor and a mountain which graced it’s entrance. On the outer side of the harbor, the mountain connected to a 20 mile long surf beach.

I was brought up in the church and, at the age of eight, I gave my heart to the Lord at a large evangelical meeting. I didn’t totally understand what I had done and didn’t follow up on it much.

Witnessing the Spirit at Work…I Want It !

As I grew into a teenager I became rebellious, but I found God again through my older brother. He had accepted Christ into his life and I could see the love of the Holy Spirit shining through and into his life. I desperately wanted this change in my life also.

I started attending the Baptist church that my brother was attending and, at age 18, I decided to be baptized. In the Baptist church, baptism is by full emersion and it was the most incredible feeling. As I came up out of the water, I felt the Holy Spirit fill me. My old life was washed away; I was born again; and I felt God’s power running through me.

But I Have Questions !

My close girlfriend (who was baptized the same day), my brother and I were enthusiastic to learn more about and serve the Lord. But as the months passed, we became disillusioned with our church. We were not getting the growth and mentoring that we needed to deepen and mature our faith.  Our questions were not being answered.

We had to rely on each other and frequently prayed together believing that “where two or three are gathered, there I am also”. And Jesus was there, leading us through some wonderful spiritual experiences, including the gift of tongues.

Ascending the Mountain

One sunny, winter afternoon, the 3 of us, climbed part way up the harbor mountain to a grassy hill overlooking the ocean and the beach. We desperately asked God what we should do about our unsatisfying church experience. We had stopped going and felt that perhaps the Spirit could lead us through life. But were we doing the right thing? beach where angel appeared

An Angel at the Beach

After about an hour, we descended on a path that took us to the beginning of the beach and led into a rocky area close to the base of the mountain. There was a beautiful long white beach in the other direction.

My brother and my girlfriend walked to the local shops and I went down onto the beach near the rocks. I walked towards the water, still silently praying that God would give me some direction.  Should I continue to attend church or should I leave the church that was not fulfilling my needs and be guided solely by the Holy Spirit without any Christian fellowship?

Due to the cooler weather, the beach was deserted. Or so I thought. But as I walked towards the water I noticed a man standing not far from me. He was possibly in his late 40’s or 50’s, with light brown hair slightly balding. He was of average height and build and smiled as I approached him.

I had always been a shy girl and never would normally have started a conversation with a stranger, but somehow when this man spoke to me I felt only calm and comfortable speaking with him. I do not remember the whole conversation but I know that we began speaking about the Lord almost immediately.

I explained to him that my friends and I had been praying on the side of the mountain; that we were dissatisfied with our church; and that we had asked the Lord if we were right to leave our church and be led solely by the Holy Spirit. Right away he answered me, looking deep into my eyes and said; “You are doing the right thing”. I felt like God was speaking to me…it was so profound and touched my very soul. After this we said goodbye and I turned to walk away.

After only a few steps I turned to glance at him, as it had been such a special encounter. I expected to see him still there, or to see his back as he started  to walk in the opposite direction. But there was no one there. The rocks were too far away for him to have reached them in such a short time but I walked to the nearest, largest rock and looked behind it. There was no one anywhere.

I knew than that God had sent an angel to answer my fervent prayers and give me unquestionable direction. I was to live my life, following only the direction of the Holy Spirit.

This was a great faith building experience; knowing that God was listening to me, heard my cries and cared about my path. Ever since then I have trusted that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing in this life, even though it was not a typical Christian life. In hindsight, I look back and know that God was shaping me and molding me for his purpose.

This was a life-altering experience for Becky.  God had sent her a messenger in response to her heart-felt fervent prayer.  The kind of prayer that God responded to for Pastor Tim and his sister, and for me.

A Follow Up Note From Becky:

I did eventually find a close relationship with the Lord and a wonderful church, however, it was many years later. Living life guided only by the Holy Spirit is not right for everyone, but this is how God spoke to me and he did keep me close and was molding and shaping me, unbeknownst to me at the time.

Dad’s After Death Message

Becky’s story stimulated my mind on the subject of angels, which reminded me to take a look at my journal of spiritual experiences and growth.  (I recommend you start one if you haven’t already.)  I found this.

My dad died in 2010.  Although he had always gone to church and read the Bible, especially during his final years on earth, I didn’t know for sure that he had accepted Christ into his life.  Maybe he was a Christian by habit.  It isn’t something we talked about and it is nearly impossible to really know another persons heart.  But 2 weeks after dad died, I was walking down the hall in my home, when I heard tinkling bells and my mind was struck with a line from the movie It’s a Wonderful Life  ‘Every time a bell rings, and angel gets his wings’.  I could find no physical source of bells, inside or outside.  I knew this was my father.

It’s a Wonderful Life

Part of the story in It’s a Wonderful Life was of an Angel 2nd Class who wanted to earn his wings.  To do so he had to prevent the main character, George, from committing suicide, which he was able to thwart.    At the end of the movie, a bell on a Christmas tree rang and George’s small daughter, Zuzu, tells everyone that ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings’.  The implication was that the life-saving angel had been rewarded.

What I found out this week was that the angel in the movie had the same name as my dad…Clarence.  In 2010, I was aware that my father sent me a message addressing my concern about his presence in God’s Kingdom.  But when I realized the connection between his name and the movie angel’s name, I was amazed by how specific he had been about being an angel.

My dad always liked to joke around.  It’s just like him to give me a message based on one of his favorite movies and then wait for me to figure it all out. Thus, I have to believe that we keep at least some of our personality in the next life.

So do I believe in angels?   Between what Becky has shared and what my father has conveyed from heaven, I have to.

How about you?  Have you had an angel experience?  Please leave a comment.

Relevant Scripture

For the angels are only spirit-messengers of God sent out to help and care for those who are to receive His salvation.  Hebrews 1:14

 

 

miracle spiritual intervention man at cross praying

A Miraculous Intervention by Accident | Spiritual Meditations

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We’ve all been there.  Our situation is so desperate, we are in such pain, our heart is breaking, or all of these at once.  We may not believe there is a God, but when we are at the very bottom, we plead with God, just in case He’s there.

The following is just such a story related by Rev. Dr. Tim Ehrlich.

My Sister’s Car Accident

I was my first solo trip into the world.  My junior year of High school had just ended, I had just turned 17, and to celebrate I hitchhiked up to Burlington Vermont from Long Island to visit my twin cousins Kim and Kerry who were attending the University of Vermont. I woke up happy on the morning of the fifth day of my visit. I had breakfast and was laying on the couch in the living room, singing along to the Beatles’ I am the Walrus when the phone began ringing somewhere in the house.

My cousin Kim came rushing to get me.  It was my mom calling for me.  Mom asked me to sit down because she had some terrible news: “Your sister has been in a terrible car accident; she has 14 skull fractures. The doctors say it is a miracle she is still alive but they say she is going to die in the next 2-4 hours. Would you like to try to see her before she dies or wait for the funeral?”

My sister Lisa was my only sibling; she was 13 months younger than I am.

She had been traveling up from Long Island to central Massachusetts with three teenage friends, to join a group of people who were helping the choir director of our church build a summer home.

They were speeding and as they came up over a rise in the road a highway department grass cutting tractor was crossing in front of them blocking both lanes. They swerved to avoid it and the car rolled over several times. The other three passengers had their seat belts on and received only cuts and bruises and one had a broken arm. My sister was not wearing a seat belt. She was thrown out of the car and her head smashed against rocks on the side of the road. Her face and her entire head was shattered.

I am told that when the troopers found her they thought at first she was dead so they tended to the others first. They transported her to a local hospital and notified my parents and my mom called me.

The Worst Crisis of My Life

In an instant my mom’s words took me away from feeling blissful to being consumed by the worst crisis of my life. When you grow up in a dysfunctional home like ours, (my dad was an alcoholic), your siblings become co-survivors and that is a special bond. That was the case for us and the result was that Lisa was to me—my sister, my friend and my co-survivor in a crazy household.

After I hung up with my mom, I told my cousins what happened, and I went outside and sat in the sunshine on the side of the small hill next to the house to absorb this news. I sat and I thought about my sister. My memories of her starting from our earliest childhood, ran through my mind.  As I thought about loosing her forever, I realized that it would truly be very difficult for me to live without her. So I sat on the little hill, with my head down and the sun beating down on my back, and I began to pray. The air was cool and I still remember how wonderful the hot June sun felt on my back.

I am certain now that it was God’s timing because two days before, I had been on the green of the university when a group of students erupted out of a building onto the green. I asked my cousin’s friend who they were, and she told me they were the campus Christian group. As I looked at their obvious joy and unfeigned friendliness towards each other, I said to myself, “whatever they have, I want it!”

Nevertheless, if you had asked me an hour earlier if I believed in God I probably would have said no, or that I did not know what to believe about God. But now that my sister’s only hope was God, suddenly, all my intellectual arguments were gone, all the doubts and questions I held for years were silent, and instinctively I just prayed. I prayed as only a person with a truly broken heart can do. I prayed earnestly, truly, intently and with every bit of my heart.

The Essence of Prayer

As I prayed, I told God how I would feel without my sister, what her loss would mean to me, that it would damage me irreparably, that I wasn’t sure I could live without her. Finally, I begged God to accept my life in service to him in exchange for letting my sister live. I know this sounds like desperation and bargaining, but just because we are desperate and bargaining doesn’t mean we are not earnest or that God won’t respond to us. I was earnest about giving my life to God, and God did respond to me.

At that moment I was at the very bottom emotionally…completely brokenhearted.   I have since come to realize from scripture (“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalms. 34:18 ESV) and from experience, that only desperation can produce in us the level of seeking that is required to produce the breakthrough to actually finding God as referred to by Jeremiah: “You will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

All of your heart is a tremendous amount when you consider all we keep in our heart. To truly have an encounter with God we must put everything else in our heart to the rear and God to the front.

God’s Answer to My Desperate Proposal

So as I prayed that day, God gave me three great gifts: first, he miraculously saved my sister; second, he baptized me with the Holy Spirit; and third, he allowed me to join his service, fallen as I was.

As I humbled myself before God with my head bowed, suddenly a comforting warm sensation began sweeping down over me, outside and inside. I lifted my head and it continued to pour out on me and through me. It felt like water but lighter than water, like a large bucket of warm water slowly, gently being poured down on my head.  It was approximately body temperature, as it felt warm on my skin but neutral inside me. It continued to pour down on me for several seconds washing me completely inside and out. This must be why it is called a ‘baptism’ of the Holy Spirit.

I now realize that God’s plan was to cleanse me first before accepting me into his service by pouring the Holy Spirit over me and through me; but at that moment I didn’t even know what the Holy Spirit was. All I knew was that God was pouring something on me that felt warm and comforting inside and out, and I knew that it meant God had accepted my offer and my sister was going to live. Relief flooded my heart and I felt deep joy and peace and calm assurance.

God has also given me the proof of his reality, a question that had tormented me for so long. How good God is to take me all the way from being filled with horror and desperation and anguish to complete peace and joy and assurance in an instant! To this day I know I have gotten the best out of the agreement I made with God that day. God saved my sister and saved me too, He saved me from a wasted life, a life without knowing the greatest Being to exist!

When I stood up from prayer I had such profound peace. I knew with complete certainty that as surely as God had just poured something wonderful all over and through me, that my sister would live.

My cousins in Vermont and everyone around me at the hospital were still fearful and horrified, but I was calm. They were all certain she was going to die but I knew my sister was going to live! And of course, miraculously, she did.

As one doctor indelicately described it, her head was “shattered like a hard-boiled egg.” We would soon find out she had not 13 but 22 fractures, and there is no way she should have lived! Her forehead was bashed in, the bones around her right eye were pulverized and there were fractures in the top, sides and back of her head.

When I got to the hospital I was allowed to her bedside in the intensive care unit. Lisa always had the coloration of Snow White: the whitest skin, jet-black hair, and beautiful blue eyes. Now she was unrecognizable, her head was swollen and round almost like a basketball; her skin was entirely black with tinges of purple and blue, her face was so swollen that the only recognizable feature was the end of her nose that was just sticking up above the swelling.

Amazingly she was conscious, she heard me and said, “who is that?” I said “Its me, Timmy.” She said “What are you doing here?” I said, “You have been in a bad car accident so I came to see you.” She said, “Why?” I said, “Because I love you!” she said “Oh.” I was so happy as I stood at her bedside because I knew God was saving her life.  At that point she went into a coma which she remained in for most of the next month.

Lisa’s Recovery

After about a month, she was conscious and talking and they discovered that she was nearly blind and could only see out of the bottom half of her left eye. After about a month she was flown by helicopter from Massachusetts to the hospital at Port Jefferson on Long Island. Lisa spent a total of four months in the hospital. She remains legally blind, but fortunately she can read and can navigate independently, although, she can still see only out of the bottom half of her left eye.

After spending several years learning to deal with her new handicaps she got a GED then a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s Degree and is now a social worker in the Veterans Administration, where she helps veterans ever day.  I thank God every day for accepting the offer of my life in service in exchange for hers.  I am so blessed and so lucky that God agreed to my offer. It is the best thing that ever happened to either of us.

Miracles Can Happen to Skeptics

If I look at what happened as an unbiased, detached theologian, the first thing that jumps out at me is how unworthy I was to have received such a miracle, much less to have been accepted into God’s service. I was an agnostic, or a skeptical inquirer, certainly not a believer. Theologically, it is significant that a person should have a profound, miraculous experience under those circumstances.

The stereotype and the expectation most people have is that miracles and spiritual experiences come to saints or at least to the devout and not to agnostics and skeptics living in sin.

I now know that none of us are ever worthy to receive a miracle from God, that his miracles are always given in grace. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans chapter seven about his struggles with sin. He said: “ I do not understand what I do; for I don’t do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate” (7:15 GNTD). The greatest apostle in history struggled with sin and yet was a part of many miracles.

So I conclude from all this is that God loves and responds to the love and desire for Him that we have in our hearts.  God also knows that, in the world, love and our higher instincts are often overpowered by physical and psychological desires.

For me personally, I was skeptical about the reality of God from an early age. Like doubting Thomas, I was resolved to believe in nothing I could not see or touch or that could not be proven to me. Even though I attended church and Sunday school regularly in all the years between age five and my sister’s car accident, I still didn’t know God, nor had I seen any proof of his existence.

The Seeds of Faith

When Lisa was miraculously saved I discovered that seeds of faith had been planted inside me by all the years of Church and Sunday school. Watered by the prayers of my deepest need in the darkest time for my soul, the seeds of faith burst forth suddenly with amazing life. I have come to realize that unlike physical seeds, which can take weeks to germinate and sprout, spiritual seeds can and do spring to instant growth when watered with the sincere and urgent prayers of a person facing catastrophe such as I was then.

I have also come to realize that this is an illustration of the reality of the words God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah: “When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart” (29:13 NRSV).

 

Relevant Scripture

You will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah. 29:13)

I do not understand what I do; for I don’t do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15 GNTD)

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalms. 34:18 ESV)

When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NRSV)

John 20:24-29 New International Version (NIV)
Doubting Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

cross crown sky clouds metaphor for Soul Ascend

God’s Touch and A Soul Ascended | Spiritual Meditations

On By Spiritual MeditationsIn Spiritual Experiences2 Comments

It seems that when someone we care about dies, we often regret something we said, or didn’t say, something we did or didn’t do.  We think we could have done more to make their life, or their end-of-life, better.  Guilt can sometimes be overwhelming.  How fortunate, that the greater our connection with God, the greater is His support of us during those times.  My friend, Tim, is going to tell you about an experience he had, as a young chaplain, that involves healing, the presence of God and his afterlife connection with a cancer patient.

The following was written by Rev. Dr. Tim Ehrlich

Context

As a first semester seminarian at Duke I was hired as Student Associate Pastor of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church. I loved working at Trinity Avenue for my boss Rev. Doctor Bennett, but after two years at Trinity I quit to take care of my newborn baby son Shaun and to enroll in the CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) program at Duke Medical Center. CPE required 35 hours a week and counted as two elective classes towards graduation from the Divinity School. My acceptance into the program made me a chaplain intern at Duke Hospital. As such I was assigned to an area that required a lot of pastoral care: the burn and amputation unit. I also rotated as Chaplain on call once every 10 days, which required me to stay at the hospital for 24 hours during my rotation.

The burn & amputation unit was a regional burn unit so it was busy with patients from all over the state. My job was to do pastoral visits with those who requested pastoral visits and with those whom the nursing staff had identified as most in need. Usually I visited everyone about to have an amputation and everyone who was having complications following their amputation. I also visited those who had been burned badly enough to require hospitalization.

I saw some very sad cases, people who had to have multiple amputations, or repeated amputations on the same limb, industrial accidents, and terrible burn cases. I visited with and tried to bring hope and light to people in the darkest depths of depression, and I visited with others facing similar circumstances, who were so filled with the joy and love of the Lord that they ministered to me instead of the other way around.

A Special Cancer Patient

As the Chaplain On Call for the thousand bed hospital I was given a pager and had to respond to every code blue (person is dying) situation, to provide immediate pastoral support to the family, if any. I also had to respond to pastoral assignment given by any staff doctor. One day when I was on call, I was paged by a doctor to visit with a young man who was very sick with cancer and had just been told he had a very short time to live – a month or so at most. His name was Patrick, I really liked him and felt so sorry for him because he was a really nice guy, a Christian, happily married and had an 8 year old daughter, and he was about to leave them without a husband and daddy.

Healing Hands

Having had the experience of seeing people I had prayed for miraculously healed, I asked him if I could hold my hands over him and pray for his healing and he said ‘yes’. This became a daily thing: at some point during my daily time at work I would stop by his room and do this laying on of hands and pray. There was no huge miraculous response, but each time I prayed he seemed a little better: he seemed a little stronger and certainly it lifted his spirits. His month stretched out into two months. I truly felt like I was in a battle with his cancer, my prayers would lift him up during the week, but I was gone over the weekends, and cancer would tear him down such that by Mondays he was back to where he was at the beginning of the week. So it was an even battle, neither side was winning, but that felt like a victory to me because he was getting some extra time with his family.

But then we had Thanksgiving break, and I was off for 10 days. I was busy with family and didn’t get into the hospital. I was pretty sure that without a daily prayer with me he would likely die. Sure enough at the end of break I got word that Patrick had died. I was feeling confused and sad: why had my prayers for healing other young people been so effective, but my prayers for this man could not defeat the cancer, just slow it down for a few weeks? Why did God let a simple soul like Patrick die, when he had so much to live for? With questions like this shaking my faith, how could I survive the emotional toll of being a pastor and working with good people who were dying?

God’s Touch

So I did what I do in situations like that, I prayed. “God,” I said, “Father, I am really in pain right now. I am confused, I am doubting my calling. I need you to give me a touch. I am asking you to give me a touch. I going to hold out my hand, and would you please touch my hand and let me know you are there?” I really don’t know where that request came from. Gideon put out a fleece: I put out my palm. I had never asked anything like that of God before. It was just the cry of a broken heart, reacting with emotion and not intellect. So I lay face down on my bed with my right hand held open; and as I lay there I felt a firm touch on my palm. It was such a strong physical sensation of someone pressing a finger into my palm that I opened my eyes somewhat startled and looked around. I thought my wife might have come into the room and touched my hand, but I was alone.

That touch did two things to me: first it lifted me up emotionally – because I had been in such agony of the soul over Patrick’s passing. Secondly, my questions and doubts about why God let a good man like Patrick die were gone. That touch was like a spiritual defibrillator, it jolted me back to faith: I had just asked God to touch my palm, and he did! What do you do with something like that? How do you categorize it? There is a certain amount of shock that sets in; its good, a good thing happened, but it was surprising.

A Soul Ascending

A few hours later, I again walked into my room and lay face down on the bed to pray. Despite the experience of being touched I was still feeling deeply sorry for his widow and daughter. I was not in agony of the soul any more but I was also feeling a bit guilty because I had not been there daily to pray and to keep him going during the holiday. So I prayed for his family and for my guilt. While I was praying, I suddenly heard his voice, as if coming from above me. He said, “Timmy, its me Patrick.” There was a moment of silence, I responded “Hi Patrick, what is up with you?” He replied, “I don’t know where I am; do you know where I am?” I rolled over onto my back, I said, “I don’t know where you are but I know where you are going, and you need to go there now!” That was it; I heard nothing more from him ever again.

Conclusion

That experience caused me to understand that sometimes souls are so attached to this world that they are not ready to cross over and they can linger for a time. This and other similar incidents I’ve experienced also speak to me of the reality of the soul as an intelligent entity that survives the death of the physical body.

If you would like to share your spiritual experience, I would like to hear it.  Please use the ‘Contact Me’ form.

Relevant scripture verses:

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4 Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. 6 There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work in and through all of us who are his. 7 The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; someone else may be especially good at studying and teaching, and this is his gift from the same Spirit. 9 He gives special faith to another, and to someone else the power to heal the sick. 10 He gives power for doing miracles to some, and to others power to prophesy and preach. He gives someone else the power to know whether evil spirits are speaking through those who claim to be giving God’s messages—or whether it is really the Spirit of God who is speaking. Still another person is able to speak in languages he never learned; and others, who do not know the language either, are given power to understand what he is saying. 11 It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and powers, deciding which each one of us should have.

John 1:49-51 New International Version (NIV)

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Sunset over mountains and trees

A Glimpse Through the Thin Curtain between Life and Afterlife | Spiritual Meditations

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When a Loved One Dies

There have to be many many people who have experienced something unusual at the time a loved one dies.  But how often do we hear about it?   Almost never.  Because “people will think we’re imagining things”.  But I’m going to tell you about a couple of times when the curtain between my world and the afterlife became pretty thin and then a friend is going to tell you about an astounding experiences just before her mother died.

Listening to the Still Small Voice

My grandmother was a saint on earth, so I’m sure she is doing great things in Heaven.  On the day she died I had visited her at the nursing home for the last time.  We told each other how we loved each other and said our good-byes.  She died a few hours later.  Because we were traveling, that night my husband and I were in a hotel room where I was talking to God about “granny’s” passage when I felt a presence so strong I turned to see who was there.  But there was no one visible.  If you’ve ever felt like there was somebody behind you without seeing them,..it was like that.  I knew this was granny whispering through the life/afterlife curtain something like “I’m still around, I’m doing good, I love you and I just wanted to let you know”.  She was always so considerate.

My dear mother’s health had been declining for over a year.  During that time she had had at least 3 of her 4 noticeable mini strokes, as well as surgery for colon cancer.  She tried to remain cheerful and I tried to do whatever was needed to make her happy, but it was hard to keep up with her changing needs and whims.  A few days before she left this earth, she told me ‘I heard my mother’s voice’.  Of course, I wanted to know what words her mother spoke, but she couldn’t tell me.   A day and a half after her earthly death, I received a beautiful bouquet from colleagues.   You know how when you are grieving and somebody does something nice, you just breakdown?  Well that’s what happened.  I was deeply grieving when I felt a ripple of happiness.  I thought it was rather odd, but didn’t realize until the next day that it was mom telling me, through the curtain, that she was now happy.  Such a comfort.

A Spiritual Experience That Can’t Be Missed

These are examples of the little messages that God sends us, that we could easily miss if we aren’t  listening, but sometimes we have spiritual experiences that can’t be missed.  This was true for my friend Lynda.  At the end of her life, Lynda’s mother was bed-ridden in Lynda’s living room.  Days before her passing, the Hospice pastor visited Lynda’s mother.  As he was standing next to her bed, with wonderment, he said to her ‘I can feel God in this room….Do you feel it?’  Her response was ‘Yes, He came in with you’.  Lynda looked out the open door and saw what looked like the sun so bright that it filled the universe.  The pastor, who had been with many people during their last days on earth, was speechless with awe and so was my friend.

I’m going to let Lynda tell you the rest of her spiritual experience:

The experience that I would like to share is one that will always stay close to my heart.  We have those right?  Those experiences that you absolutely know as truth because you were there, perhaps not as a participant but as an observer.

I never met any of my mother’s family members.  There were not many of them and they passed away before I was born.  They lived in my mind through stories my mom told me as I grew up.  I know them as strong, kind, spiritual and fiercely protective.

My mom was nearing the end of her life.  She was under the care of my brother, myself, my sister-in-law and hospice caregivers.  Her bed was in the living room and I slept on the couch in the same room next to her, in case she needed me during the night.  Most nights were quiet and we slept well.

However, during her last night, I was awakened, hearing much rustling and hushed conversation.  All around my mother’s bed were shadowy, graceful figures fussing and smoothing the bedding, making my mother comfortable, murmuring to each other, and working together as though they knew exactly what their purpose was to be there.  I simply watched and took in the awesome event taking place with my mom.  Somehow I knew their purpose and felt strangely calm.  They were those loving spiritual family members coming to check on my mom and get her ready for her journey home.

The next morning my sweet mother joined her mother, father, grandmother and aunt.  They had prepared her well, welcoming her to her heavenly home.

Remember John 14:2:  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

What  a wonderful experience…to witness part of the journey we will all eventually take…a  rather large opening in the curtain between life and afterlife.

The Torn Temple Curtain – at the Time of Another Transition

At the time of Christ’s death the temple curtain was torn.  Matthew 27:51

It is not a slight rent through which we may see a little; but it is rent from the top to the bottom. There is an entrance made for the greatest sinners. If there had only been a small hole cut through it, the lesser offenders might have crept through; but what an act of abounding mercy is this, that the veil is rent in the midst, and rent from top to bottom, so that the chief of sinners may find ample passage!” (Spurgeon)  

The tearing of the temple veil signified at least two things. First, now man has free access to the throne of grace by the cross. Second, no one should ever think again that God dwells in temples made with hands.  (David Guzik)

Please contact me if you have a spiritual experience that you would like to share.  I’d love to hear it.

 

Clouds that represent God's presence with my at the airport

God’s Faithfulness Changed My Life|Spiritual Meditations

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Of course you have heard the phrase ‘Let go and let God’.  But have you ever put yourself totally at God’s disposal, even for just a day, and then seen Him use it?  We have so many responsibilities that are hard to set aside.  And even if we are spiritually meditating we may not recognize God’s activity.  I’m going to tell you about a day that God used to make a big change in my life.   We need to share these experiences instead of being afraid that people will think we’re crazy.  It’s my turn.

In the 90s the US economy was going strong.  My husband and I were in the gift and home decor industry.  In 2000, even before the World Trade Center was bombed on 9/11/01, the US economy was slipping and the gift industry was one of the first to feel it. Our income was plummeting, but our expenses weren’t.

I was flying from Tampa Florida to Grand Rapids Michigan, with a stop over in Cincinnati, to attend a class reunion.  I saw this as a great opportunity to put myself totally in God’s hands…no particular responsibilities…nothing to do but travel.  And look at all the people I could possibly connect with during the trip.

After checking in, I headed for one of the terminals.  As I entered the huge open area, I felt God’s presence filling it…an invisible cloud is the only way I can think to describe it. There weren’t many people at my assigned gate so I approached the attendant.  He told me I was at the right gate but my flights had changed.  Instead of changing planes in Cincinnati I was going to change planes in both Cleveland and Cincinnati.  OK.  I had just given my day to God, so no problem…whatever He wants.  No complaints.

God had something in mind for me to do, so I talked to the other passengers instead of reading.  Where are you going?   What kind of work do you do?  Etc.  THEN on the Cleveland to Cincinnati leg, the one I wasn’t suppose to even be on, I was sitting next to a casually dressed lady who seemed to be engrossed in her book . Didn’t want to bother her, but God was urging me (you know that feeling).  So when we were interrupted by the stewardess, I had an opportunity to start a conversation. I won’t go into all the details of our conversation, but during it I mentioned that my husband was a  natural-born salesman.  When she found out where we lived she gave me her card and told me to have him call her. A couple of weeks later we were both employed by her company and making enough to meet our financial obligations.

It still brings tears to me eyes when I think how faithful God is to us if we just give Him the opportunity.  I was expecting to maybe help someone have a slightly better day, but God was taking care of MY life.

I want to hear your spiritual experiences.