Uncle Ezra's Story

The post yesterday was mostly inspired by what I'm planning to share today. I have seen the reactions people have to this story, have seen people refusing to listen to what he had to say, some going as far as avoiding the family afterwards. I can not ever dispute what happened to him, I may not understand everything, but it is his story and I know he tried to spread it as much as he could to everyone who would listen. Since he can no longer do that I'm sharing it today.

I was only twelve when this happened, but the impression it made has never faded.

A car drove in one evening and the driver came up to the house, when Daddy went to answer the door we all strained our ear to hear what he had to say. We could only make out a few words, hospital, and call right away.

Daddy left his food on his plate, saying he has to go to the payphone right away to call the hospital where his brother Ezra was after having fallen 40 ft. After he spoke to Ezra's wife Mom and Daddy decided to go see him right away, he was in bad shape, multiple broken bones, bleeding on his brain, the doctors were doing everything they could, but even they weren't giving any hope that he was going to survive this. They stayed at the hospital for a few days, Ezra was unconscious the entire time. Coming home they started making preparations for the funeral that was sure to be coming soon.

Now on to Ezra's story, somewhat condensed:

I was climbing upwards through a long dark tunnel, I could see the light at the end that grew bigger and brighter the closer I got to it. I could see people walking past that light. Once I reached the end I came out in a large meadow with a path. People were walking on it, I wasn't sure what to do so I started walking up the path too. I hadn't gone very far when I saw my body laying beside the path. I didn't know what to make of it, I no longer needed it, but I hesitated walking on with it still there. It was then that I noticed a man walking down the path towards me. He was talking and singing at the same time, both were clear. He didn't look at me standing there, instead he stopped beside my body, he picked it up and sat down holding it in his lap. He continued talking and singing, but now he was also running his hands up and down my broken body. I stood there watching and noticed how his face was lined, as I studied those lines a few stood out and then a little later they formed little bundles, looking almost like a handkerchief that had it's corner tied together like a little knapsack. Several of the little bundles floated over to me. I opened them, they were full of thoughts. The first one was that I don't have to be afraid of the future, because it is in His hands. Another one said "Love me, and live in peace." I looked at his face wondering what all the other lines were, but he shook his head saying they are for someone else. All this time he kept running his hands up and down my body.

When he was done he placed the body on the ground, he opened it and asked me to step back inside. It's time to go back, he said. I tried to but it was awkward so he reached out and helped me back in. I woke up in my hospital bed then, a sheet over my head. I reached up to uncover my face and almost gave the nurse that was tidying up the room a heart attack. She rushed to get doctors, the first doctor who came in asked me how I'm feeling. I told him I'm healed. They took me to be x-rayed and tested, and it was true, every broken bone was healed, all the injuries I had received had been healed.

I don't claim to have been in Heaven, I did not see God. But this I know, Jesus healed me, He loves and cares for His children, and for a child of God, death is only the beginning.