I sighed and tipped my head back in my chair. What Margaret just said was pretty mind-boggling. I couldn’t help but feel God’s presence as I gazed up at the great expanse of moon and stars, knowing he created all of it. And as vast as the universe is, God cares enough to be available whenever we need him. Margaret’s very presence sitting next to me here in my backyard was proof of that.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Margaret’s question brought me back from my reverie.
“I am feeling overwhelmed by God’s love and care for us, Margaret. When I visited with Carol in my dream, she had the same sense of excitement and anticipation about her that I have sensed in others I have had visits from. She knows that much more is going to happen in God’s plan for us and for those in heaven. It is so exciting to know we are part of a plan that is still unfolding, a plan that holds many wonders for us. Remember that feeling of excited anticipation I felt in my dream about being on a journey? That is the kind of feeling I am experiencing now, but this time I am not dreaming.”
Margaret laughed. “Believe it or not, Jenn, all of us in heaven are experiencing the same kind of excitement you describe.”
I sighed, gazing up at the twinkling universe. “I wish I had a telescope that would enable me to see much further into God’s creation—to see galaxies and far-off worlds. When I recall what Carol told me about God establishing his kingdom in the hearts of believers, I imagine watching two worlds slowly merging together, like pictures I have seen from the Hubble Space Telescope. That would be amazing to watch!”
“We are watching it happen, dear one,” said Margaret with a mysterious smile.
I got goose bumps again.
Margaret continued. “Jenn, when Jesus made the statement ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ he was speaking a profound truth. Jesus is that place where the two realms meet . . . the exact center of the intersection of heaven and earth. God is, at this very moment, establishing the heirs of his Kingdom through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who dwell in the hearts of all believers. And, as an heir to the King, you, dear girl, are a princess of his royal household! It is a great privilege that carries with it great responsibility.”
A princess. That made my heart smile. “I think I know what that responsibility is, Margaret,” I said. “As beloved children of the Father, we are to share with others the wonders of a life in Christ, so that they may be heirs to the Kingdom with us.”
“Yes,” affirmed Margaret. “And when his Kingdom comes, what a glorious event that will be. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John frequently refers to the new heaven and the new earth and describes his visions of them. ‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . . And I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’
“On this day, heaven and earth will be renewed and finally merged together. God himself will dwell among us. We will all dwell together, Jenn.”
That brought a big smile to my face. “I cannot even imagine how wonderful that day will be,” I said. “You, and these dreams about Carol, have taught me so much. As I view my life with this future in mind, it changes my whole perspective of my journey here on earth—why I am here and where I am heading. I believe the single most important action in my life is to develop an intimate, deeply personal relationship with my Father in heaven. And the purpose of my life here on earth is to continue to deepen that relationship at every level of my being, in heart, mind, and spirit; to be a careful and considerate caretaker of God’s creation; to use the spiritual gifts he has given me; to learn right living from the words of his holy scriptures; to teach others about him; to listen to my heart and nurture the things that bring me joy; to serve others and to become a person who reflects his image. Knowing that our future is eternal fills me with hope and a great sense of anticipation. What a magnificent journey we are all on, my angel friend!”
Ah, my girl,” sighed Margaret wistfully, “I am proud of you! You are getting it!” Then she reached over and placed her hand gently on my arm. “How wonderful and how marvelous that God sent these revelations to you through a faithful sister in Christ. Why he chose Carol to speak to you is known only to him. You never know where his next message will come from, but in his mysterious way, it will come in a form that is special and perfect, just for you.
“Listen now, Jenn, to your King’s whisper as he lovingly places his royal robe around your shoulders:
“Open your eyes and see that heaven embraces you, my beloved. I am all around you—so close that before you call, I will answer. The day is coming when we will live together in a glorious Kingdom—a new place, more wonderful than you could ever imagine. Trust in me, for my faithfulness endures forever.”
As I listened, I felt a sudden tingling sensation all over my body. I peered down at my arms and noticed they were glowing just the slightest little bit. Then my clothes began to glow. Startled, I looked over at Margaret. The radiance I had noticed coming from her gown and her body was now spreading over to me!
Margaret laughed and said, “Don’t worry, sweet girl, I thought I would share just a bit of heaven’s glory with you. When I left you for a while today, I spent time with the Almighty in his throne room. The radiance you noticed about me comes from the reflection of the glory of God himself. Everything in heaven, Jennifer, radiates with the reflection of his glory—everything. And when God reunites all of us together in the new heaven and earth, there will be no need for sunlight, because we will be lit by his Almighty presence.”
I smiled and hugged my arms to my chest, soaking in the glory of God that she shared with me. I did not want this moment to end, ever.
But Margaret stood and prepared to leave me for the night.
“It has been a long day for you, dear child,” she said. “It is hard to believe it was just a few hours ago that our angel friends gave you a brief glimpse of the heavenly gateway as they left here to return Home. We’ve covered a lot of ground since then. You must get some rest now.”
Looking back on our day together, I could not believe how much had happened. It was uncanny how being with Margaret made time appear to slow down. Although completely exhilarated from experiencing God’s glory, I realized that, indeed, I was getting very sleepy.
“Okay, Margaret.” I yawned without squeaking. “Will you be here in the morning?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied. “And I am looking forward to it already. I’ve become very fond of our poolside chats. Have the umbrella up for us. I have a feeling it is going to be another warm day. Good night, dear one. May your Heavenly Prince give you a good rest.”
Margaret’s words floated on the air behind her as she moved toward the St. Francis statue and disappeared, her soft, glowing radiance slowly fading into the dark, leaving only the scent of white roses behind.
The Language of God
Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
ACTS 2:2–4
Refreshed by a wonderful night’s sleep, I awakened early, poured myself a cup of coffee, and sat at the kitchen table, savoring the quiet of the morning. Gazing through the window, I could see that it was another beautiful Texas dawn. The sky was streaked with a pink blush and the grass glistened with dew. I watched with amusement as three little bluebirds raced through the yard, playing a game of chase with one another. Guy and I have affectionately named these birds Larry, Curly, and Moe, after the Three Stooges, because of their funny antics. We have watched them leave the nest and learn the necessities of life together—flying, feeding, and most recently, how to drink and take a birdbath
.
This morning Larry, Curly, and Moe flew over to the tall, elegant fountain in the back of the yard. Water gently gurgled from the top of the urn that the graceful statue has hoisted on her shoulder. All three birds perched on the edge of the urn and took turns hopping into the water, merrily splashing their feathers. I grabbed my binoculars and hurried out onto the back porch to get a better look. Now I could hear their sweet little chirps as they played in the water. A shimmer of pink entered my vision in the binoculars, and I lowered them from my face to see what had caught my attention. I could only smile and shake my head because, of course, there was Margaret standing by the fountain. She was truly a feast for the eyes this morning. Her gown was a perfect, cotton candy pink, capturing the pink blush of the sky, and it glittered and sparkled, creating the illusion of tiny little prisms that reflected the morning light. I wished she could bring me a bolt of that fine fabric from heaven!
Again using the binoculars, I watched as Margaret raised her arms shoulder height and cupped her hands. Without any hesitation whatsoever, Larry, Curly, and Moe all hopped off the fountain right into her hands and sat there, twittering gaily at her. I could hear Margaret’s merry laugh as she held the darling little bluebirds. They were so content. It was as if they could sense their Creator in her presence. Then, with a gentle flick of her hands, she released them into the air, and they hopped back onto the fountain and resumed their splashy bathing ritual.
“Good morning, Jenn!” called Margaret cheerily as she began to walk toward me. I waved to her and put down the binoculars. Then, remembering her request before she left last night, I stepped over to the garden table and raised the umbrella.
“Ah, what a glorious day the Lord has made.” Margaret sighed as she settled into a chair. Her small, bare feet and the bottom of her gown were damp with dew. She looked at me and gave a smile that showed all of her perfect white teeth. “I will join you in a cup of coffee, Jenn, while we still have the cool breeze of the morning upon us.”
I grinned at the not-so-subtle hint and left the lovely vision in pink sitting under the umbrella while I went to fetch our coffee. As I opened the door to the house, Cody burst through, almost knocking me off my feet in his haste to get outside and say hello.
When I stepped back outside carrying two steaming mugs, Cody was happily licking Margaret’s hands and toes, his tail wagging back and forth at lightning speed. “Sorry for the doggy kisses, Margaret!” I called. “That is just Cody’s way of saying hello.”
“Oh, it is a lovely way to say hello.” Margaret giggled. “It tickles.”
I laughed with her and said, “Cody has a unique talent for communicating special things to people. He is kind of like Scooby-Doo.”
“Scooby-Doo?” Margaret asked. Then she held up a finger and said quickly, “Wait a minute!” then closed her eyes and sat very still for a few seconds. Then she laughed out loud and clapped her hands. “Ruh-ro! What a very funny dog Scooby-Doo is. So, Jenn, how is Cody like Scooby-Doo?”
“Well,” I replied with a twinkle in my eye, “Cody can tell you that he loves you.”
“Oh, how fun!” Margaret laughed and clapped her hands again. “Show me!”
I pulled a treat from my pocket and gave it to Margaret. I instructed, “Show Cody the treat and say to him, slowly and distinctly, ‘I . . . love . . . you.’ ” Cody sat expectantly in front of Margaret, and when she did as I had instructed, Cody cocked his head and said roughly in three distinct syllables, “Rhy Rhuv Rhroo!”
“Ooooooh! Good boy!” Margaret squealed in delight and gave Cody his treat. “That is wonderful! It must be very difficult for a dog to learn to say human words, and he did it very well indeed.”
Margaret and I settled happily back into our chairs and watched as Cody raced off in search of squirrels to chase. We sipped our coffee and sat in quiet fellowship for several minutes, relishing the soft, cool breeze we knew wouldn’t last much longer.
Margaret spoke first, breaking our quiet reverie. “You know, Jenn, as I listened to the birds’ sweet chirps as they sat in my hands, and then as I heard Cody tell me “I love you,” I am reminded of how God speaks to, and through, all of his creation, in many different languages. Each language is uniquely special to the one with whom he is communicating. Earlier, you mentioned an experience you had with a language you did not understand. I think this would be a good time to talk about it, don’t you?”
“I guess so,” I agreed with a sigh. Timidly, I looked down at my feet, and I could feel my stomach churn in anticipation of talking about something largely misunderstood by many people.
Margaret set her coffee cup down on the table, then reached over and took the cup out of my hands and placed it on the table next to hers. I got the feeling she wanted my full attention. She did. With her hands she gently tipped my chin up so that I was looking into her beautiful, wise face. And in Margaret’s blue eyes I found the courage I needed.
I spoke softly. “All those years ago, by the bedside in Michigan, at the moment I asked Jesus to come into my life, the first thing that happened to me was that I was filled with an overwhelming joy and began to speak in a language I did not recognize. My aunt and uncle explained that this was the gift of tongues, of speaking in the Spirit. It is an experience that’s hard to describe, but every time I am moved to speak in the Spirit, it fills me to overflowing and pours out of me. Even though it is mysterious, I have always felt this was an important gift for me and I have guarded it carefully, keeping it very private.”
Still holding me fast in her gaze, Margaret asked, “Why do you think this gift is important, child?”
“It was my first gift from God, and it felt so personal and special. Even though I did not know what I was saying, I felt that I was speaking in a language only God could understand. I know there are those who are gifted with the interpretation of tongues, but that was not given to me. But that doesn’t seem to matter, because when I use this gift—when I am speaking this unknown language—I am filled with a peace that goes beyond my understanding.”
“Dear one, that is because this gift is an actual manifestation of the Holy Spirit that dwells within you. The Spirit is real and active, speaking to you and for you. When you speak in the Spirit, you are communicating with the very heart of God. Listen to this scripture from Corinthians: ‘For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.’ ”
Margaret’s words brought tears to my eyes.
“I have always deeply treasured this gift, Margaret,” I said. “Even though I have come across people throughout my life who scoff at it. It has been hurtful to me to participate in conversations when this subject comes up for discussion. I can feel my heart and spirit quicken as I think maybe, just maybe, I will be able to share my experience with it. But before I ever get the chance, someone will laugh at or criticize the gift of tongues, saying things like, ‘It’s all fake,’ or ‘I would never want that gift—it is too weird.’ I find myself feeling humiliated and sad that I cannot speak without being ridiculed, so I say nothing at all. I am ashamed that I have not been a very good witness for my Lord.”
“I am so sorry,” Margaret said softly, her eyes reflecting the disappointment I felt. “Unfortunately, people criticize what they do not understand. And what they do not understand is the gift of tongues is a Divine form of communication that has been active for thousands of years. Jesus’ disciples received this gift during Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to mankind just as he had promised. The ability to speak in the language of God enabled them and others to teach the good news about Jesus to people of foreign tongues all around the earth. And it has enabled you, Jenn, to speak to God with your heart when words fail you. Am I right?”
“That is true,” I agreed. “There are times when I am deep in prayer for someone, and am at a loss for words. I may be praying for someone who is dying, and I wonder, what should I pray for? Should I ask God for healing? Sh
ould I pray for God to take them home and stop the suffering? In times like these, I feel moved to pray in the Spirit. And every time, as these mysterious words are flowing from deep within me and pouring out through my lips, I experience an ancient presence, a wisdom beyond my own understanding and pure, unconditional love.”
Margaret smiled knowingly. “There is a scripture from Romans that speaks to this very point, Jennifer:
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God who searches the heart, knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
“That’s lovely,” I said wistfully. “It is comforting to know that the Spirit knows my heart and knows even better than I how to talk to my Heavenly Father. There have been many times in my life when I have gone to the Lord in prayer, when my heart was so heavy all I could do was sigh.”
I heard a little sniffle and looked over at Margaret, who was wiping away a stray tear that had begun making its way down her cheek. I knew she understood completely the various heartaches that had prompted those sighs.
After a few moments, Margaret spoke quietly. “In Romans, a word is used that points to an important characteristic of the Spirit living within you. That word is intercede. You recently experienced an intercession of the Spirit when your father was going through a traumatic event. I am sure you remember this. It was a combination of two of your spiritual gifts—a dream and an alert to prayer by the Spirit.”
“I certainly do remember, Margaret. It was another one of those extraordinary heavenly intersections. My father needed hip replacement surgery, and I traveled back to Ohio to be there for him and for my mother. The surgery went well, and Daddy was to stay in the hospital for about three days. While I was there, my sister asked me if I could stay at her house for a couple of days with their three children while she and her husband made a quick trip out of town to attend a charity event. Always happy to spend time with my nieces and nephew, I agreed, as long as my mother did not need me at home. Mother was spending most of her time at the hospital with Daddy, coming home only at night to eat and sleep, so she encouraged me to go spend time with the children.
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