Soul
Magic
Hallelujah,
Thine the Glory!
by Rev. Charles Stanley, Retired
For the very few of you who may not know, my mother enjoyed
her long anticipated "Homecoming" just five days before her 90th
birthday. My beloved Holy Spirit has used
the circumstances of her glorious passing to raise me to a new plateau of
spiritual awareness. He has made His
presence known in such striking ways that, even in the hospital, during the
process of awaiting her release from the flesh, the doctors and nurses clearly
saw the evidence of His presence.
One of the warmest of "warm fuzzies"
that will live with the first two generations of his family for the rest of our
lives, involves the fact that my Daddy smoked "Half & Half" pipe
tobacco all of his adult life. Just walking down the street or into a room where the sweet aroma
of it lingers, triggers a flood of childhood memories for all of us. My Daddy went "Home" fifteen years
ago.
Two nights before Momma slipped quietly away, I was sitting
in my bedroom, watching TV when, all of a sudden, the entire room was filled
with the sweet aroma of Half & Half tobacco. I didn't understand it, I didn't know its
meaning, all I knew was that it was as real as
anything I have ever experienced during 70 years of life.
Two days later, my daughter, Stephanie, was standing at
Mom's bedside, leaning over holding Mom's hand and gently stroking her
cheek. Her face was just inches from
Mom's as she told Mom, "Nanna, you've hurt more
than enough now. It is time to relax and
let go to be with all of your family who are waiting for you." At that moment I heard Stephanie say,
"It just happened." Later she
told me, "Daddy, I've never seen anything like it. Her skin was blue-gray and all of a sudden it
changed to ivory and then, for just an instant, her skin glowed from the inside
and she was gone. It was
beautiful!"
It was not until a few days later that I realized that my
Daddy had let me know, by the most undeniable possible sign of his presence,
that he had come to escort my Momma home.
When I was a boy and later when Momma and Daddy's
grand-children were small, Daddy had a grape arbor by the house. It was loaded with the Bronze Scuppernongs
that had been Momma's favorite since her childhood.
Momma's favorite flower was Lilac. Some time back, Momma and Stephie
had a conversation during which they agreed that, when Momma finally got
"home" and settled in, if she wanted to let Stephie
know that she was there and okay, she would arrange for Stephie
to smell Lilacs. Stephie
insisted, "Or feel a good swift kick in my bum."
Now, to tie these together. A few nights after Momma's passing, Stephie was sitting in her bedroom, working at her
computer, when she started to experience a taste in her mouth. She said that it was slowly intensifying,
triggering a flood of childhood memories.
Suddenly she realized that it was the sweet taste of Bronze Scuppernong
grapes. She said that she could not help
but smile as she said, "I love you too Nanna."
At
Praise Him in the
morning as dew settles on the grass.
Praise Him at the noontide as we take our lunch repast.
Praise Him in the evening as soft embers rise and fly.
Praise Him every breath I take from birth until I die.
The instant I hit the "8" in the date, Momma
whispered, "Look at the date you just recorded. Nine months before your birth in 1938."
I just had to share this with those I love!!
"To God be the glory, great things He has done!"
—
© Rev.
“Living
proof that God can use even a cracked pot who is
willing!"