HEAVENLY VISITATIONS

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Pt. 1

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law were with us yesterday for Thanksgiving. And during the course of our meal, we began talking about the reality (or lack thereof) of ghosts.

My niece, their daughter, once witnessed something along an old local road which could not be explained; an apparition which appeared as she neared a curve along that two mile stretch of pavement. She and I once attempted to recreate whatever she saw, but as we passed that particular spot on the road, we witnessed absolutely nothing.

I have often wondered about the existence of what we refer to as ghosts, and have, for many years, been convinced that they simply don't exist. Of course, for those, like me, who claim to have seen something fleeting and nebulous, this poses the obvious questions, 

"If not ghosts, what, if anything, are these apparitions?"

(and)

"What exactly is their raison d'etre?" (as the French might ask).

I have to admit that in spite of my lack of faith in the theory that ghosts exist, as I have inferred, I have experienced things which cannot be explained, (except the way I will attempt to explain them before I conclude this thesis).

Pt. 2

Speaking of "seeing something," after my father passed away, my mother told me she was sitting in bed one evening. Looking up over the corner of her book, she was surprised to see daddy seated in a nearby rocking chair. He never said a word, but he wore a wonderful smile on his face. A few seconds later, he disappeared.

I have read that as many as half of widows and widowers claim to have seen their husbands and wives after they departed this mortal sphere. So, in the scheme of things, and given the numbers, my mother's experience wasn't all that unusual.

And while I have never seen a dearly departed relative or friend after their departure, in the wee hours of the morning I once witnessed what I am convinced was an angel walking towards me on a nearby sidewalk. I had been pedaling my bike that morning, had stopped at a stop sign, looked left and right, saw an individual, looked away for a moment, and when I turned my eyes that way again, the heavenly visitor had disappeared.

Pt. 3

After my precious little Shih Tzu, Buddy, crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2006, I was lying in bed one night, and suddenly I felt something against my right shoulder, and then what seemed to be breathing in and out, in and out. That night, or not long thereafter, I felt something settle against my feet. Buddy had slept on a pillow in that location. A week or two later, I was enjoying my recurring nightly walk, and a little white dog appeared in my pathway; only to disappear in seconds. Just short of a decade and a half later, I was seated in residential center where I did counseling, and I perceived some invisible little paws against my leg. Tears welled up in my eyes. After an almost duplicate little Shih Tzu, Queenie, passed last year, I experienced several similar things, including a momentary vision of her near her water bowl, and something which nuzzled against my hand as I sat on the sofa.

Post-script

Given the apparent reality of these heavenly visitations, I have reached the conclusion that what I and many others have experienced, at least those experiences which might be thought of as positive, can be summed up by the word Grace. 

God's grace, His love and care for His creation, and His purposeful intention to encourage those who have been left behind.

by William McDonald, PhD