On the following Wednesday afternoon about 3:30 pm, I was visiting my sister I stayed for about an hour, then called a cab. A few moments later, my brother staggered through the front door. His clothes were dirty and soaked from perspiration. Breathing very heavily, he immediately asked for a glass of water. While my sister hurried to get it. I approached him. I was only standing about four feet away when I called out his name. He didn't answer. I wanted to know how he was feeling and if I could help him in any way. So I called his name again. This time, I was looking into his eyes- standing almost in front of him- he looked right through me, as if I wasn't there. I was for some reason physically invisible to him. As my sister gave him the glass of water, he said, "I just helped a man push his stalled car over ten blocks to his house in all this heat." It was over 100 degrees that day. As I was listening, I heard a horn blow. It was my cab. I said a quick 'good-bye', and as I was leaving, I glanced back at my brother- realizing that he not only couldn't see me, but he also couldn't hear my voice.
And that was the last time I saw my brother alive. As this was happening, I still had no memory of having talked to him on the telephone or of any of the miraculous events that had transpired on the previous Sunday. When I arrived home everything was normal, until a little after 7 pm that night. I had received a frantic telephone call from my sister, informing me that our brother had suffered a seizure and then a massive heart attack. He died while en route to the hospital. He was forty-five years old. After the autopsy, the medical examiner stated to a family member, "Your brother had a smile on his face when he died." John 5:24 reads, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hearth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
When I was getting dressed to meet with family to make funeral arrangements, the memory of the appearance of Our Lord Jesus Christ to my little girl and the conversation I had with my brother on the telephone, returned in vivid detail. And I knew in spirit it was God, letting me know that it was time to tell my family about the miraculous gift given to my brother. I did so during our family meeting. In reflection, God had given my brother yet another most precious gift three (3) days to put his affairs in order and say his 'good-byes'.
And that's exactly what he did. His message was a simple one as he went around to family, friends and neighbors, telling each one that he loved them and to love one another. A few thought it was the wine talking; others thought he was unusually happy and so animated. Still, most simply appreciated the kindness of a caring thought. But no one thought it would be the last time they would see him alive.
Later, I sat down at the dining room table with another sister to start writing his obituary. Neither of us could find the words to describe our brother's life. His life was not ordinary by any stretch of the imagination; it was truly blessed by God. He used to say, "he had more lives then a cat." He'd say this because something or someone (and not always a total stranger), was always trying to take his life. But, they failed because God would move him out of harms way. For example, he was blessed when the would-be object of his demise, a loaded hand gun, was place to his head in a robbery attempt. The gunman pulled the trigger several times, but the gun kept misfiring, leaving my brother badly shaken, but uninjured. Another blessing came when he was serving in the Navy. Aboard ship working below deck, he was permitted to go up on deck for a smoke. As soon as he lit his cigarette, there was an explosion below deck in the part of the ship where he would have been on duty- had the Lord not moved him to a safe area. He lost several close friends in that horrible accident.
There are many more moments of peril where his life was in danger and he was miraculously spared, but in truth there are too many to write about in this part of his story. What I would like to do is tell you about the lives my brother saved (that I know about).
Once whilst sleeping he heard a scream come from the dining room. Some friends were visiting my sister and they brought with them a popular board game (the name of which I won't mention- only that it involved being able to speak to unknown and often evil spirits). As the game progressed, the board literally became more and more agitated by a young girl's questions, until suddenly evil spirits summoned by her careless antics (invisible to everyone but my brother) materialized around the game board and entered into the girl's body, knocking her back in the chair onto the floor. My brother rushed over to her, and held her body. He could see (in spirit) multiple evil spirits literally pulling her spirit through a dark window. He said that he never stopped praying to God during this struggle of life- and-death for the young girl. The Lord answered his prayers by sending angels, who filled the dining room with their prayers until it became so hot with the Lord's Glory that whatever evil had hold of the girl was destroyed and she was saved. The young girl could not remember what had happen to her.
My brother, with the Lord's blessings, also: saved the lives of two drug addicts who had overdosed; delivered twin baby boys in an elevator that was stuck between floors in a hospital. He saved many lives by interceding in violent arguments, by calming the combatants with a kind voice and prayers. He was of tremendous help to the elderly and the sick always offering love and compassion.
My brother put his life- and the many gifts God blessed him- with- on the line for people he knew and strangers as well, all the time. Praise God! That's why my sister and I were struggling not only with what to write, but how much to write. Everything in my brother's life (and that includes the things he did for people that we have no knowledge of) had a direct bearing on why Our Lord Jesus Christ, appeared to my little girl with a message from a most merciful God to her uncle. On the side of the dining room table, where my sister and I sat, laid my late mother's beatiful Holy Bible. (It was the bible my brother had bought for her while stationed in Italy).With so many questions to answer, I was suddenly spiritually moved to pull the Bible over to me. As I did so, my sister asked what I was going to look up. I told her that I didn't know.
Just, as I spoke, my right hand moved in spirit to open the Bible. I then started searching through the pages, slowly at first then more rapidly. This was the first time my right hand had moved in spirit. It continues to do so ever so often to this day. (Please Check out my other post about the book of 'Habakkuk').
My right hand came to rest on, Matthew 5: 3-12. Recognizing the scripture, I smiled and whispered, "Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord! For taking me by the hand and leading me to the scripture that describes my brother and his life." I looked over at my sister and said, "This is the scripture the Lord wants in our brother's obituary and that we need add nothing more " The particular passage was 'The Beatitudes'. Matthew 5: 3-12.
3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. 4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven.
11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
My brother's obituary was now finished along with a photo of him in his Navy uniform. Everything was ready for the printer.
On the day of his funeral, friends, neighbors, the addicted and the sick all came all were welcome. They sat in the same pews next to one another, with all their differences set aside. If you were a stranger, you would have been unable to tell one group of people from the other. We were all crying and bearing our great lost as one family.
After the funeral, the same people who hadn't spoken to each other for years- because of their lifestyles etc- were laughing and conversing like lost friends reunited. It was truly a wondrous scene to behold, all in loving memory of my brother. His work was done, and God had sent His Son, "Jesus Christ" to call him home. Praise God!
1 John 4:20 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"
And as my brother had asked of me, I now ask of my readers.
Please, pray for someone you don't know. And, don't tell anyone who that person is. May God bless you and your family.
Copyright 2007, 2008
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