After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the
fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled
his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
- 1 Kings 19:12-13
I always enjoy reading
stories about near-death experiences and other encounters people have with the
heavenly realm. It encourages us in our faith, and gives us hope in a
future eternity with God. I shared one such story from a friend in a previous
blog entry, The Day I Touched Heaven. And I'm
currently reading an amazing book, Imagine Heaven, by John Burke, which relates several incredible stories of people's miraculous journeys to
heaven and meeting God or Jesus (or both).
Reading this book
reminded me that I have yet to share on this site my own amazing story of meeting God (I shared it in my book); it changed my life and continues to give me
confidence and hope daily, and I pray it does the same for you.
Many years ago, I dozed
off to sleep one night, unaware that I was about to encounter the Creator of
the universe. I dreamed I was at my grandparents’ home. Everyone in my core
family was there in the dream with me - my parents, brother, grandparents, and
aunts and uncles. Suddenly, someone in the group told me that God wanted to
speak to me, and it was as if I knew just what to do or expected it. I had no
fear.
I was in the family
room, and a fog or mist, low to the ground, came out of the hallway that led to
my grandparents’ bedroom. The fog came right toward me, and I somehow knew that
God himself was approaching. I covered my face with my hands as He drew
near, and I knew in my Spirit that I could not look.
I squeezed my eyes shut
just as I was engulfed in the brightest light I had ever seen. There was warmth
around me that made me so comfortable and free; the warmth may be the thing I
remember most vividly. Then I felt a hand on my right shoulder, and I was
aware that it was God’s right hand. As I reflected on this later, I knew this
was a purposeful and orderly act, because this would not be the natural
placement of someone’s right hand as they were reaching out to touch someone’s right
shoulder. Scripture also confirms this:
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed
his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”
- Revelation 1:17
While He was touching my right shoulder, I heard a voice in my
right ear speaking these comforting words, "It's okay; it's okay."
Amazingly, His voice was both different and as familiar as my earthly
father's voice. The voice was speaking into my right ear. This was
strange and unbelievable. Why? Because
I've been deaf in my right ear since birth!
It was a perfect moment - blinded by light, enveloped in radiant
warmth, a hand on my shoulder, and the familiar, paternal voice of my Father.
The experience only lasted for several seconds. I was so upset when I
woke up because I never wanted to leave that moment. I was so comforted and at
peace.
This dream changed my
life forever and serves as a foundation of my faith today. I now have the
confidence of knowing that in the heart of it all, the God whose presence I
experienced, whose hand touched me, and whose voice I heard, is alive, He is
real, and He loves me as a father loves his child. I also no longer have a fear
of death - if leaving this world means getting to be in His presence and having
that same experience for eternity, I’m ready to go at any time! That’s how
amazing and real my dream was.
I hope this testimony
encourages you to know that God loves each of us in a very real and
personal way. As you walk through life's journey, He is with you every
step of the way, encouraging you with the comforting words, "It's
okay." Because an eternity of joy, peace, love, and God's warm
presence awaits you.
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on
those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. -
Matthew 4:16
-Adam Gellert
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