Trudy gets so many questions from Guideposts readers, we decided to make her answers a regular feature on her blog.
Dear Trudy,
My brother, John, was just 40 when a terrible illness stole him away from us in only two short months.
He went from being a strong, vital man to not being able to utter more than one or two words coherently and being totally unable to sit up on his own.
One night his companion of many years heard a voice from the direction of the living room, where John’s hospital bed was set up. Walking into the room, this is what he saw: John was sitting up with his arms upraised, saying in a clear, strong voice: “Yes, I know. I am ready.” He looked, according to his companion, like he was glowing with joy.
We were blessed with this just days before John passed away, and that is when I knew, with everything I could sense inside of my heart and soul, that John had experienced a heavenly visit to prepare him for his passing on to the next stage of his life.
The irony of this story: John had AIDS, and John was gay. Although a devout Christian all of his life, we’d had so called “Christians” tell us that John was going to hell rather than heaven due to his life choices. This was never believed by his loved ones, but John’s visit from beyond to prepare him for passing leaves no doubt. God is a loving God and heaven awaits His children.
I added this part of the story to comfort those parents and loved ones who have had cause to wonder if their gay son or daughter was allowed into what we call Heaven. I’d say that being gay has nothing to do with what happens at the end of our life’s journey. Being a good person does.
Dear Friend,
It is heartbreaking to lose a brother that you love so much. Forty is much too young to die. It sounds as if John was surrounded by loving family and friends as he left his earthly home for his eternal one. I have often told family members who are with loved ones when they die that the tenderness and acceptance in their loved ones’ eyes and hearts is a reflection of God’s intimate and unconditional love.
To hear John say, “Yes, I know. I am ready,” is to know that God was allowing His child to see a loving welcome into his Father’s house. As you know, people often have visions or see angels and glimpses of heaven before they leave us. To try to understand these things is not really possible; we are not meant to know all the mysteries God holds close to His heart. We can only accept them and trust in the all-loving and compassionate heart of Jesus, whose death and resurrection we commemorate this very Holy Week. He died for all of us, so that we might live with Him forever.
Be at peace and trust your Heavenly Father and the Son he sent to redeem us.
Blessings to you and yours,
Trudy Harris
If you have a story about a “glimpse of heaven,” please share it with us. Send it to glimpsesofheaven@guideposts.org.
