I paused, remembering the intensity of this dream . . . it had seemed so real.
“Jenn,” Margaret said gently, bringing me back to our conversation. “Tell me what happened next.”
“What happened next, Margaret, rocked my world. That same day, early in the afternoon, I called the church office to collect any prayer requests that had come in for the intercessory prayer team, which I led. The church secretary told me that “prayers are requested for Robert and his family because Carol passed away early this morning.” I was stunned. It was not expected to happen so soon, at least not by me. I could only groan with sadness. When I asked about what happened, the church secretary told me “Carol had a great day yesterday but last night she went downhill fast. According to her husband, she suffered incredible pain—it wasn’t an easy way to go.” She went on to say that Robert was home with her when she died.
“After hanging up the phone, I sat in my chair for a long time. Tears came as I mourned this beautiful sister in Christ. My heart was so sad, and I remember feeling frightened—just as I had been when I’d dreamed about my grandmother falling and breaking her back. What was this dream? It’s as if I’d had a front row seat that in every sense permitted me to witness Carol’s death. Is that even possible? And if it was possible, why?”
I looked to Margaret for an answer.
“I know this dream was distressing to you, Jennifer, but I want you to see it now for what it really was—a rare opportunity to witness the seamless transition from the earthly realm into the heavenly realm, and to understand that during this time of transition, you are never alone.
“Let’s look at the images in your dream. Carol’s family, friends, and husband, Robert, surrounded her while she was still living, and as she began the process of death, you saw ‘tall beings in white’ minister to her and eventually escort her away.”
“Those tall beings were angels, weren’t they?” I asked hopefully.
“Yes, child, they were,” she answered. “They took away Carol’s pain and escorted her Home.”
“That’s beautiful, Margaret,” I said. Instead of feeling sadness, I suddenly felt like rejoicing for Carol.
Margaret smiled as she noticed the flicker of joy in my eyes. “Death, Jennifer, is not the end of life. Death is a part of life! In your dream, Carol did not cease to exist. On the contrary, after her earthly life ended on that table, she got up and continued on. God wanted you to see this important truth, dear one. You, and all his children, are spiritual beings having a human experience. When your human experience comes to an end, you return to your place of origin—behind the veil—into the waiting arms of the One who loves you like none other.”
“Death is a part of life,” I repeated thoughtfully. “Wow, I never thought about it quite that way. I can only imagine what it will be like to walk back into Jesus’ arms like Carol did.”
“There was something in your dream that gave you a clue about that. Remember the deep, thick cushion of sheep’s wool that covered the table Carol lay on?”
Sheep’s wool. . . . sheep . . . Shepherd! “Oh, I get it, Margaret,” I exclaimed. “It makes perfect sense. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Great Comforter, the Great Physician, and our beloved Shepherd. Carol, during the process of dying, was able to rest in the arms of her beloved Jesus. My goodness, I can’t think of anything more beautiful or comforting than that.”
“And I can’t think of anything more beautiful than Carol’s deep faith in her Savior, who comforted her throughout her illness and journey Home,” Margaret said tenderly.
“Honestly,” I said as tears welled in my eyes. “I don’t know whether to weep tears of sadness or tears of joy. Carol’s death made all of us so sad, yet now, knowing what really happened to Carol makes my heart leap for joy.”
Margaret and I sat quietly, thinking about Carol. It was now dark, and a full moon was beginning its trek through the night sky. Its bright, bluish hue seemed to increase the wondrous radiance of Margaret’s glittering white gown.
After a while, Margaret said softly, “When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his upcoming death and resurrection, he told them that they would indeed experience sorrow. He said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.’ Joy was part of God’s intended message for you, dear Jenn, when he permitted you to have this extraordinary dream. This is what he wanted you to know:
“Do not be afraid of death, dear child, for it is your way back home to me. I have commanded my angels to watch over you, and you will not make the crossing alone. I await your return with great joy.”
I shook my head in wonder. I had never considered that the separate concepts of death and joy could exist together as one poignant truth . . . until now.
When Worlds Collide
Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
ISAIAH 65:17–18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:18
The full moon had reached its zenith in the night sky, transforming my backyard into a magical wonderland of shadow and light. It was a perfect setting for the wondrous revelations my angel had just provided about death and life. “This journey of ours has revealed so many things I never completely understood, Margaret,” I said. “I am truly amazed to learn how many times the heavenly realm has intersected with my life.”
Margaret flashed me her lovely smile. “Heaven wants to intersect with you, child. You were not created to go through the human experience alone—heaven wants to walk alongside you, providing wisdom, help, and hope.” Then she gave me a knowing look. “You had a special visit with your friend after she returned to her heavenly home, didn’t you?”
“I sure did,” I answered. I leaned my head back and gazed up at the moon and began to tell her about an intriguing dream visit I’d had with Carol a month after she died.
I approach a charming, white, cottage-style house with a large, inviting front porch. The air is pleasant and warm. As I begin climbing the steps to the front door, the screen door opens and there stands my friend Carol, wearing a cheerful red-and-white apron. Her curly, near–shoulder-length white hair dances slightly in the breeze, and her cheeks are a rosy pink. She has a fresh-baked-cookie smell about her. She looks wonderful and happy. She gives me a big smile and comes out to greet me. “Jennifer!” she says, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I am so glad you came to see me! I have so much to tell you. Heaven is not what I expected—it is so much more.”
Carol tells me that heaven is not just a remote place away from earth. Heaven is everywhere—an unseen world that exists alongside ours. It surrounds us and moves with us each and every day of our existence on earth, yet we are separated by a barrier put in place by God. She tells me that Jesus can cross over to earth any time he is needed. His angels can do the same. Their bodies are able to cross the barrier between heaven and earth, whereas humans, by nature of our sinful flesh, cannot. When we are set free in death, we can then cross the barrier into our heavenly home. Even more glorious is the fact that there is a steady, continuous merging occurring between earth and the realm of heaven, as if the barrier is slowly thinning. God is establishing his kingdom in the hearts of believers—throughout the ages, one at a time.
I listen in amazement to all that Carol is telling me, and it resonates inside me as a mind-boggling truth. As I stand there on the porch, the images begin to fade and I awaken.
As I finished describing this dream, I marveled that heaven was intersecting my real world in powerful ways . . . realms colliding, Jesus appearing, angelic interventions . . .
Breaking my reverie, Margaret quietly asked, “What are your impressions
of this dream visit you had with Carol?”
“Honestly,” I replied, shaking my head slowly, “I feel truly blessed by what she shared with me. To begin with, since I knew Carol was now Home, in my mind’s eye I saw her in the charming setting of a cottage-style home with a large veranda-like front porch, a type of home that is particularly appealing and comforting to me. And when she came out onto the porch to greet me, she was so happy and excited to share something that gave her great delight. As she shared her thoughts with me, I began to understand them with a clarity I had not experienced before.
“Carol told me that heaven is everywhere, all around us. It makes me immediately think of that moment you and I had here in the back of the yard when we embraced heaven together.”
Margaret beamed, her eyes sparkling, and I continued.
“It makes sense to me, Margaret. I used to think of heaven as somewhere ‘up there,’ far, far away. In the very first chapter of Genesis it states that heaven and earth are separate, separated by a barrier put in place by God. And that is true. We cannot see heaven, and we cannot go there until we are set free from our earthly bodies. I still think of heaven as ‘up’ since anything not on earth is above. But I do not believe that heaven is far away. Especially after all I have learned from you.”
Margaret gave me a delighted smile. “When you consider that heaven, though separate from earth, is everywhere, it can help you understand that God is everywhere. He sees your actions, and he knows what is in your hearts and minds. He is with you all the time. And when you choose to be in a relationship with him, he sends his Spirit across the barrier to live within you, to guide you, to be your advocate and comforter.”
“The way you explain it sounds so simple, Margaret,” I said thoughtfully, “and yet it seems heaven is such a difficult concept for people to grasp. Or maybe grasp isn’t the right word—maybe it’s just hard to believe. It is hard to believe in something you can’t see.”
“Ah, yes,” said Margaret with a wistful smile. “You cannot believe in something until you give yourself permission to believe. That, child, is true freedom.”
“I love that!” I exclaimed. “It gives me the freedom to believe that anything is possible when it comes to the things of God.”
“Hold on to that belief, dear girl,” laughed Margaret. “Let’s get back to your visit with Carol. What else did she say that enlightened you?”
“Well,” I answered, “Carol did not mention it specifically, but one of her revelations stirred a more profound awareness in me regarding the essential nature of prayer. She told me our Lord can cross over to earth anytime he is needed. It’s as if God provided his children with a powerful lifeline to heaven . . . a way to communicate with him—through prayer—across the barrier between earth and heaven. When we cry out to him, he can respond in an instant.”
With a nod of approval, Margaret’s tone became serious. “Communication is crucial to the success of any relationship, Jennifer, both here on earth and in heaven. Our beloved Heavenly Prince was in constant prayer during his time on earth. He knew the value of and necessity of prayer, because it was his lifeline to his Father and his true home. My child, even though God is all-seeing, he still wants to hear from you. He wants to know about the desires, joys, and concerns of your heart, and he wants you to ask him for help, for blessings, for spiritual gifts. Because when you do so, you are choosing to have a relationship with him; you are choosing to grow closer to him and to put your trust in the one who has loved you since the very beginning. That is what brings our Father immeasurable joy.”
“I can’t imagine not talking to God,” I said. “I talk to him all the time. I told you earlier how Billy Graham encouraged me to talk to God and how that changed my life. Throughout the years, as I have grown into my relationship with him, I have experienced spine-tingling examples of the Divine nature of prayer.”
“Can you share one of those examples with me?” asked Margaret.
“Sure,” I said. “This was an experience I will never forget. I was working for a hospital system in Ohio when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed. It was a homegrown terrorist attack, and it left the nation reeling. Our faith-based hospital had a sister hospital in Oklahoma City where many of the injured were being treated and many of the dead had been taken. In an effort to express our love and concern for our counterparts who were caring for the victims and their families, we posted a huge banner in our lobby to provide a way for our employees, patients, and visitors to share their thoughts and prayers. The long banner hung for a week, and every inch was filled with written prayers. It was beautiful and breathtaking. One short prayer particularly touched my heart: ‘May God wrap your hospital, and all who are within its walls, in his loving embrace.’
“Finally, the banner was carefully taken down and rolled up, ready for its journey to Oklahoma City. I was asked by our administrator to take the banner over to the other hospital in our system where it would be shipped from. My job frequently took me to this other hospital, and I planned to go over later in the day. I carried the banner back to my office and set it in the corner up against the wall behind my desk.
“As I sat down and got back to work, I was continually distracted by the feeling of a presence in the room. It was so strong that several times I swung around in my chair and looked toward the wall. I could see nothing but the scroll of prayers standing silently there, where I had placed it. But each time I turned my back to it, the little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Someone or something unseen was there in the room with me. It was then that I realized that prayers truly have a life of their own. They are not just words written down on paper, or words casually spoken. Prayers are like living bursts of energy and are carried straight to the throne of heaven. And it’s my guess that angels help carry our requests to the throne of the Most High. I don’t know that for sure, but I do know that for the rest of the afternoon I was in the presence of something holy. And I have a feeling that God heard every single one of those loving petitions.”
Margaret nodded and said reverently, “Prayers are precious offerings, Jennifer, and you can be assured that they are indeed carried by the heavenly host to the throne room of God. Listen to this moment in scripture from Revelation: ‘Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.’ Not only does God hear the petitions of his beloved, he directs all under his authority to act on them.”
Now my spine tingled again! “I believe that, Margaret. In my dream, Carol said the same thing—when we are in need and cry out to him, God hears and he acts. A close friend of mine told me a wonderful true story about three friends—Jenny, Margie, and Gina—that is a good example of this.”
“Do tell,” encouraged Margaret.
“Jenny suffered from a serious chronic lung disorder. One Friday night she was hospitalized and became comatose. Her daughter was advised that if things did not improve overnight, the family should be called in. More than eight hundred miles away that same Friday night and early Saturday morning, Margie had been deep in prayer for her friend Jenny. She intended to wait until a little later in the morning to call Jenny’s daughter for an update on her condition. Meanwhile, early Saturday morning, Gina, another friend, decided to stop in to visit Jenny in the hospital. Gina was a believer, but was without a church home and at a point in her life where she longed for a deeper relationship with God; she needed to take her faith to another level.
“When Gina entered the hospital room, several miracles occurred at once. As she approached Jenny’s bed, she was amazed to see an angel sitting at the head of the bed, stroking Jenny’s hair! Gina knew instinctively that, no matter what happened, Jenny was going to be okay. At this same moment, many miles away, a worried Margie couldn’t wait any longer
and decided to call Jenny’s daughter a little earlier than she’d planned for an update. When she placed her hand on the phone to make the call, Margie was overtaken with joy and a revelation that Jenny was going to recover. Laughing and with a relieved smile on her face, she placed the call to Jenny’s daughter and told her that she already knew Jenny was going to be fine. And she was right! Jenny did indeed recover.”
“That is a wonderful story, because you can see how our Heavenly Father ministered to each of these three women in a single instant! He answered Margie’s prayer, and he sent his messenger to comfort Jenny and to enrich Gina’s faith. And think about Gina—God opened her eyes so that she could see. Imagine the leap her faith took in that very moment. Oh, that is just the tip of the iceberg, my sweet child,” Margaret exclaimed, the radiance around her growing suddenly brighter. “The Almighty is so powerful and so generous with his grace that he can respond all over the world in an instant.”
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