I am the oldest of 5 children and like many teenagers my Father and I never saw eye to eye on many things. We argued all the time it seems like. Eventually I grew up and married and had children of my own.

My Dad had stopped going to Church when I was pretty young but he always made us children go every Sunday. One day when he and my Mom were visiting my husband and I, Mom and I were sitting in the kitchen and I was witnessing to her when my Dad came in the room. He asked what we were talking about and I told him Jesus. He sat down at the kitchen table with us and I asked him why he didn't go back to Church. He told me with a chuckle that the building would fall down on top of him. I looked him straight in the eye and said "Dad that is not true, Jesus loves you." For a moment I saw hope spring in his eyes and then just as quickly, he dismissed it saying "Naw"
(means the same as no in Scotland).

Many years later when my son was a teenager and going through his struggle for independence, breaking the home rules we decided to sit down and have a talk with him. I told my son that my Dad and I had not gotten along when I was a teenager and I thought he just wanted to spoil my fun. Now that I was married and had children of my own I finally understood that he loved me and was trying to protect me. As I was speaking these words I became aware of my Dad and Jesus in the room. I turned and looked at the spot they were at but saw nothing with my eyes, but I just knew they were there. Jesus was standing with his left hand on my Fathers shoulder, Dad was either sitting or kneeling, I am not sure which. I looked at my husband and my son expecting some kind of reaction but neither seemed aware of what was going on. I have never had an experience like this before or since. I wasn't sure what I should do so I decided to leave the room. To leave my living room and go to the kitchen would have meant walking right through them, I got out of my chair and circled what looked like an empty spot, I couldn't just walk right through them, it was that real. As I reached the kitchen door I gained a little grasp of what was going on so I poked my head back in the living room and said "I still don't think he had to be that strict." As suddenly it had happened they was gone.

A few nights later I got a call from my brother telling me that my Dad had just died. He said that Dad had told my mother that Jesus was coming to take him to heaven at 3 a.m. and not to forget to take back his library book as it was due that day. Soft tears ran down my face as I realized that Dad had made it, this man who didn't go to church, but God knew his heart, he knew he believed. I felt like Jesus had just wrapped his arms around me, I felt so loved. The scripture came to me "Be you saved and all your family." I wanted so hard to believe it, now I did, then I remembered the incident in the livingroom with my son. I found out much later that Dad had been asking for me and they kept telling him I was coming but, no one had told me. Dad needed to know I had forgiven him for all the terrible arguing we had done in my teen years. Jesus had brought him in the spirit to let him witness what I was saying to my son, Jesus knew I wasn't coming home. I also believe that this was God's way of preparing me for my Fathers death. Of course I didn't want to even think of such a thing so I had dismissed the whole incident, putting it at the back of my mind. It was then I told my husband about Dad and Jesus being there when I was talking to Michael. He said "I wondered why you made that last remark." I told him that was for Dad's benefit.

Our God is a kind, loving and forgiving God, even when we can't forgive ourselves.

Mary E. Cole

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