Some people receive multiple glimpses of heaven. I received a note from a lovely woman who had sensed when her grandfather died years ago, although he was very far away. She realized he had come to let her know he was leaving and to reassure her of his love. In this letter she tells of the recent death of her husband of 39 years.
Dear Trudy,
Noah and I met in May 1970 when as a graduate student I showed him the apartment that was vacant right next door to mine. We started dating two months later and married in 1972.
We had three daughters and enjoyed more than 39 years of married life. Over the years Noah loved to tease, and when he was out of town and called he would usually ask me, “When did you realize that I was gone?” I would always scold him mildly that of course I missed him immediately.
We had just returned from a wonderful trip. On Sunday morning he woke me complaining of a headache and within minutes he was unconscious, the victim of a sudden ruptured brain aneurysm. We were able to get him home, closer to our family and friends, and he died three days later. My girls and I were all devastated by the sudden loss and not being able to say goodbye. I wondered how I was going to continue with my life.
Almost immediately I began letting our golden retriever sleep on Noah’s side of the bed—mostly so the bed wouldn’t seem so empty. One night as she jumped on the bed, I patted her and told her that she was a good dog but not the same as having Noah there. Immediately a thought entered my brain, almost as if it had been said to me: “When did you realize I was gone?” I looked up at the ceiling and asked, “Did you say that? You know I miss you now and will always miss you!” But I felt reassured that all was well and that he will always be there for me.
Gail
Dear Gail,
I believe that love never dies and that only later, when we are in heaven, will we realize the full meaning of love from God’s perspective. Love creates a connection of the heart, soul, mind and spirit that we only understand from a human standpoint. It runs much deeper and has much more meaning than we now know.
You and your husband had a beautiful life together, you loved deeply and well, and that does not die. Be comforted by the closeness God himself is allowing you to experience. And know that you will see him again one day in heaven. Be at peace—you have loved well.
Blessings,
Trudy Harris
Trudy gets so many questions from Guideposts readers, we decided to make her answers a regular feature on her blog. If you have a story about a “glimpse of heaven,” please share it with us. Send it to glimpsesofheaven@guideposts.org.
