Sunday, December 16, 2012

Messages from the Dead--Angels? Ghost? Or Wishes.




Ebenezer Scrooge was a greedy, hard-hearted character in the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol.  After being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, his tight-fisted ways change and he is transformed into the epitome of giving, caring, and the Christmas spirit.

These spirits took Ebenezer on a journey to show him the evil in his ways, and revealed to him the terrible outcome of his life. The precious money that he spent so much time cultivating and saving would be stolen by the same poor and needy people he spent his life scorning. His employee, though poor, enjoys his life despite his pittance of a salary, and his family bitterly mourns the death of his ill son Tiny Tim. Scrooge's death affects no one, and he is shown his lonely, unkempt grave with not a soul to give it care. He begs the spirits for help.

He rises on Christmas morning thrilled at having another chance at life and quickly changes his ways.

Although A Christmas Carol is a fictional novel, the premise is not uncommon. We are a people obsessed with ghosts, angels, and the afterlife. And rightfully so. It is one of the only areas in out lives we cannot properly study.

We hear stories on a regular basis about messages from the dead, clouds that look like angels appearing the same day a loved one dies, and phone calls received from a phone that is not plugged in.

Death is final. We don't get a free pass for another try, a second opportunity to say something to a loved one, or the ability to know what happens after our eyes shut for the last time.

We desperately hope there is something good waiting for us after we die. We want to follow the white light and see our dear departed loved ones lining the halls to the Pearly Gates.

I had emergency surgery at 19 and was rushed to the hospital with very serious internal bleeding and had surgery the same evening. I remember being told to count backwards from 100, and made it to about 98. The next thing I recall is hearing my name being called as if through water or from deep within a cave. I also saw the white light at the end of a tunnel. I remember the voices and the light fading, and the darkness closing around the glow like a television would shut off in the early 70s. The circle just got smaller and smaller then winked out. This happened two or three more times until the voice calling my name won and I opened my eyes. Looking up I saw the doctor and a bright light over my bed in the hospital. He smiled and told me they had a hell of a time waking me up because I had a reaction to the anesthesia. I told my sister I saw the white light and heard the voices from beyond--but they were the doctor and the ceiling light.

That experience was enough to make me jaded about any of the white light stories I had previously heard.  I mocked the clairvoyants like James Van Praagh or Sylvia Brown when they said they could "see" the dead around a person, and got messages from them.

And then my grandfather got sick. He was in the hospital for a while and we knew it was only a matter of time. After visiting him one afternoon I was downstairs doing laundry and it got a bit dark--I figured a cloud went over the sun. I dropped a piece of clothing and bent to get it, and when I stood saw tiny red, blue and green lights. I figured it was a head rush from standing too quickly, but them I started to think of my grandfather. He told me not to worry, and things would be fine. He also said to take care of my grandmother. The sun came back out from behind the cloud, I shook off the creepy feeling, and walked upstairs. Two steps from the top the phone rang. It was my mother telling me my grandfather had passed away.

Yup. Could be a coincidence. I sometimes get lightheaded when I stand up too fast--and I see checkerboards and lights too. But something about this made me believe a bit again. Not completely--but I cannot discount the afterlife 100% anymore.

As for angels, that is another story. To believe in angels one has to believe in a Christian God and a heavenly hierarchy. That would also mean the belief of Lucifer, the rebellious angel cast down from heaven into hell. That will have to be another post.




Many believe they have guardian angels, and feel their presence.  Many stated they were saved from a car crash because the wheel somehow miraculously turned at the last minute saving them from certain death.



We cannot understand what happens after death. We don't know why some are taken from us so young and without warning. We want desperately to know our loved ones are in a better place, and no longer suffering. We wish for signs and guidance when we are having a hard time, and hope a benign force can help lead us to the correct answers.

My next post will be a continuation of this theme--but a bit darker. Can we also be visited by less friendly and more malicious beings? Next week I'll tell you about the time I watched my bathroom door open by itself, and a few other experiences I've had.

Please tell me any of yours--I'd love to know!

 

9 comments:

  1. Most everyone calls me Jimmy. There was a very old man in our new church - a good man - and he would always greet me and call me James. He seemed to go out of his way to greet me. He got sick a couple of years ago and passed away. When I found out about it - for some inexplicable reason - I began to take it very hard. I just wanted to hear him call my name one last time. I had just gotten home from work and went off to shower before dinner. The more I thought about it, the more I began to weep...
    After showering and getting dressed, I tried to compose myself by walking around my house. When I got to the front window I noticed my cat seemed to be studying something. I crept up to the window to see what it was, only to discover a white dove in my yard. I've seen many doves in my time, but never a white one. I said nothing and called my wife over. "What does that look like to you?" I asked her.
    "Oh," she replied. "Rian (our son) said that dove was on your truck a little earlier."
    The dove eventually flew onto the neighbor's house. I watched it as we left and went out to dinner, but have never forgotten it... I cherish that memory.

    -Jimmy

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  2. Wow Jimmy.
    I wonder if they have their limits with communicating with us, and they end up doing it in whatever way they can.
    The fact that the dove was on your truck made me do one of those little involuntary gasps. He could not say your name but it was like he knew you wanted that last connection so bad.
    I'm so glad you wrote this out here. That story is very special. Thanks so much,
    XO
    Pen

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  3. I never believed in ghosts really, always saying that I would believe when I saw one. While I have never actually seen one, I have felt one. When my hubby and I had our first house, we would get tucked in at night. Seriously! As to who it was, I'm assuming it was the old lady that had lived there previously, even though she died in a nursing home. Once we left that house, I never felt it again.

    And, guardian angels...yup, believe in them too. When I was about 7 months pregnant, I was stopped at the one and only light in my town. There was a boy standing at the corner with his bike. He should have gone...but he just stood there, waiting to cross the road. He was maybe like ten years old. When my light turned green, he crossed the road in front of me. I had a feeling he was going to, so I didn't move. Thankfully he did cross, because a truck barreled through the red light at full speed. I would have been T-boned (on the passenger side) and I might not have my daughter right now. When I looked back to see where the kid was, he was gone.

    Yeah, you might say I believe...

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    Replies
    1. Oh my GOD Beth!
      You had that feeling he was going to cross and you LISTENED!! So many of us don't pay attention to that inner voice anymore. We over ride it because we are busy or preoccupied. Makes you wonder where the voice comes from, right??
      So glad you stopped :)
      XO
      Pen

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  4. Great post! This is a very mysterious (obviously) topic. I can't say I've ever had such an experience that I know of anyway. I do know a fried of ours that swears there is a ghost in her house and tells some pretty compelling stories to back it up. Things like seeing an outline of a person leaving through a door. Cabinet doors opening on their own in front of her. She is a level headed person, and I tend to believe her on this. Can't wait for your next post!

    Paul R. Hewlett

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    Replies
    1. Yikes Paul--I don't think I'd want to live in your friend's house--or even visit! They say these things can latch onto us and never let go! **shudder**
      These experiences tantalize us because although they have possible alternate explanations, there is a huge part of us that wants to believe they are true.
      Well--that SOME of them are true. I don'k know if I would want to see the outline of an invisible person strolling through my living room!! ACK!!
      Thanks for the comment Paul.
      XO
      Pen

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  5. I have a DD blog

    www.1950princess.blogspot.co.uk

    Princess x

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  6. I love-love-love this post, Penelope, because of your bare honesty. You don't "project" onto the experience any socio-religious blueprint that was drilled into you. Instead, you report to us your experience, doubts, fears, and glimmers of hope. And this is exactly what feeds my soul—because like you, I've had experiences like this. And I don't want to colorize it with received ideas—I want to process it genuinely and just accept that this is my journey, regardless of how complex these issues are. Thanks for sharing your story!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!
      I can't wait to take a look at your blog tomorrow--I'm actually excited about it. Something tells me it may resonate with me on some kind of level. :)
      Glad you feel the stories are genuine and thanks so much for signing up to follow my blog...I'll be looking forward to our chats.
      XO
      Pen

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