Pam Padgett ... member of the body of Christ
Although we're affected when a family member or someone we know dies, God comforts us and helps us.
My
mom died a few days ago. She was 88 years old and had been in poor
health for quite a while.
A
great comfort to me is that there is strong evidence that my mom was born
again before she died.
Several months ago while talking with her on the
telephone, she told me how much she was enjoying reading the Bible,
telling me she was currently reading in the book of John.
She seemed so
different, delighting in the Bible instead of talking about what
various people were doing as she had done in the past. Since that time
when talking with her on the telephone it was wonderful to hear the difference in her.
I'm so
glad that God chose to reach my mom and also for allowing me to see
this.
Then in late November, 2020, I was given a dream in which my
mom was standing upright at a small table, dressed in a nice but modest
dress, and calmly straightening what was on the table before her. Some
emergency medical techs (EMTs) came to put up some monitors. I asked my
mom if she saw the EMTs come in. She replied that she had seen them
but didn't know what they were doing there, and she calmly continued
straightening up things on the table. (dealing with her own life)
I believed by this dream God was showing me my mom was about to die but that she was in good condition spiritually.
My
mom, a widow, lived next door to my niece, Michelle, and her husband
and young sons. Michelle and her husband have been a great help to my
mom, and my dad as well before he died 3 years ago.
(No doubt God will greatly bless and reward Michelle and her family.)
A
few days after having the dream about my mom, Michelle called to tell me that Mom's doctor had put her in hospice care. They would simply try to
keep Mom comfortable and not do anything else medically.
This
didn't come as a surprise to me, and I realized it was because of the
dream I had been given and was very thankful to God.
But
I was concerned about Michelle and her family, knowing how close they
are to my mom and that it would be a big adjustment for them when mom
died. So I asked God to please help them in some way.
A few days later while thinking of how comforted I was by the dream I had been given about my mom, I "knew"
that I should send this dream to Michelle, which I did. I included a
note saying that I believe the dream shows that Mom was about to die but
was in good spiritual condition, and also told about the change I have
seen in Mom over the past several months, born again. I told Michelle this is all that is important.
After putting the letter with the dream and note in the mailbox, I clearly heard "the God of all comfort" and found this in II Corinthians 1 ...
II Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who
comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God.
This
is exactly what God has done. HE comforted me regarding my mom in
letting me see her born again and also by the dream, and gave me the
opportunity to comfort my niece and her husband with these things as
well.
Michelle received my letter and thanked me for it. The following day my mom died.
Michelle sent a text message to let me know Mom had died. Although
it was emotional for me to hear this, I was also so glad that Mom is no
longer having to deal with this world and physical pains.
I sent the
following to Michelle ...
Thanks
for letting me know, Michelle. So glad for Mom. She will just sleep
now until Jesus returns and raises the dead who are in Him. (I
Thessalonians 4) Emotional and an adjustment for those of us still
here, but God is able to help us even in this.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I'm
so grateful to God that my mom was born again before she died and that she will be raised when Jesus returns, and for
the additional comfort HE has provided for me by giving me the dream about my mom, and for leading me to share these
things with my niece.
*****