Recalling miracles and dreaming of heaven

I recently read a book called, “To Heaven and Back,” by Dr. Mary C. Neal, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It had such a profound impact on me that I finally decided I just had to share my thoughts with anyone who might be interested.

I don’t want to give too much away, but in a nutshell, the book is about a doctor who has a near death experience. She basically dies, goes to heaven and comes back to earth. It gives details about her experience – what she went through in dying, who and what she saw in heaven, what messages she received and how she lived after returning. It speaks of angels, offers hope and gives a glimpse into the beauty of eternal life in heaven with a God who loves us deeply and personally. It is the kind of book that changes one’s perspective on life now and life as it will be.

The gift of this book came at an interesting time. I had just attended three funerals in two weeks – my high school YoungLife leader, a childhood friend of my husband’s and a lifelong family friend. Shortly thereafter, a dear friend’s mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer. A high school acquaintance unexpectedly died of a heart attack. Another family friend took a bad turn with their Alzheimer’s disease. As I was considering whether to write a blog about the book another friend reached out to me who has lost both her first husband and daughter to unexpected, early deaths. Two of my dear college friends have recently lost their fathers, and if you follow me, you know about my own father’s strokes and the aftermath of his health challenges.

My point is this: my world felt suddenly flooded with death and illness, yet, after reading this book, the hope I was feeling for those who suffer and those who pass on was so profoundly deep, that I knew I had to share. I’ve believed in God for as long as I can recall. I have always had the hope of heaven and have certainly read about its’ splendor in the Bible. But, somehow, the account from Dr. Neal just made it all come alive in a new and different way for me.

It’s made me reflective of all the miracles, big and small, that I’ve experienced in my own life. Like the time in high school when doctors were convinced I had a brain tumor. I experienced the Anointing of the Sick. I prayed for peace alone in my hospital bed and received a solid answer when I opened my bible to Psalms 6. I was visited in the hospital by a man I didn’t know who “was being obedient to God to come to my room and tell me I was going to be healed” — only to stump all the doctors and, indeed, be completely healed with no logical explanation.

Or, like the time back in the 90’s when my husband and I were having marital problems. I walked into a Christian bookstore and prayed for answers. I was led directly to a book by Jimmy Evans called, “Marriage on the Rock; God’s Design for your Dream Marriage.” It was the first book I touched. I read the book cover-to-cover and realized that there was still hope for us if we decided to “do marriage God’s way.” And during that same time, a man who didn’t know of our troubles, out of the blue, proclaimed to Howard, “You don’t want to be divorced.” Hope was born for both of us because God chose to speak loudly to us, and we chose to listen. We just celebrated 33 years of marriage, and even when it is hard, I know God has a plan for us.

Or, the time my auto-immune disease was so severe that I was considering a serious life-altering surgery. I was so very sick. My daughter, Chelsea, was getting married, and I wanted nothing more than to be able to enjoy the celebration. I prayed in earnest to be well enough to get through the day. And, sure enough, I was completely symptom-free for the first time in years for the entire wedding and reception. From the beginning of the day until the time I got back to our hotel room – not a single symptom. What a praise!

These are just a few of the many miracles that I’ve experienced. There have been others, both big and small. And, sometimes it takes a book or a conversation with a friend or a knock upside the head to remember what I’ve already known. Our God is so personal. He’s so in love with us. He has a plan for each of us. If we pay attention, watch and listen, He shows up. I mean, He really shows up. How blessed are we to have been created by such a God?

One of the things Dr. Neal suggests in her second book is to write out a simple chronology of our life that highlights the significant events we’ve experienced thus far. She then encourages us to sit back and reflect on those times. She asks us to become aware of when and how our loving, active and present God may have touched our lives in ways we may not have noticed at the time. I started this exercise last night. It’s been a pretty cool process to put my life in bullet format and just take the time to remember. What I know for certain is that God has ordained my steps and brought me some of the most incredible people to know, love and learn from. And He has been there with me every step of the way. I highly recommend you give this exercise a go. You just may be surprised at what the process unveils for you.