Signs of a Loved One in the Hands of God
I believe in life after death because God has inadvertently sent my family and I signs that our lost loved ones are in his presence and care.
When I was ten, I lost my great-great aunt Jo to old age. Now one might ask, “How well can you really know a relative like this?” Considering most people do not even meet their great-great relatives. Well on the contrary ever since I was a baby I had spent many days over my grandparent’s house. In this house lived my great-great aunt Jo, my great grandpa and grandma Weber, as well as my grandpa and grandma Bevillard. So throughout the years I grew extremely close to all of them.
As a result, my great-great aunt Jo’s death was the first one I had ever experienced, and it was really tough on me considering I grew up with her in my life since I was a baby. That day at Hope Hospice I had a calming presence come over me that reassured my thoughts of her entering into Heaven. There was just one problem, as a kid I felt I needed concrete evidence or a sign from God that showed me that she was ok and with Him. So as I walked outside onto the patio that was connected to her room my eyes caught the sight of an amazing butterfly garden, and right then I saw the most beautiful butterfly I had ever seen in my life. I said a prayer that very instant thanking God for letting me know that she was with Him.
One year later, it was my great grandpa Weber’s time to go. I was eleven now, and was starting to wonder why I was losing people that I love care for so much. So on this rainy Father’s day, my family and I wait in a hospital room as he takes his last few deep breaths alive on this earth. As he drifts away into an interminable sleep I slowly see the tears drip down the faces of all who are in the room. Then, I suddenly peer out the window to find a rainbow stretching across the sky. Right then I knew that I had connected with God again as my great grandpa Weber was being welcomed into His kingdom.
As I became a teenager at the age of thirteen, I was hit with the death of my beloved great grandma Weber. This death also left a gaping hole in my heart. My great grandma Weber was placed into Hope Hospice because the doctors knew with her old age that it was only a matter of time before she passed. A few days later she died peacefully in her sleep, and as we were collecting her things out of the room at Hospice the next day, I finally noticed a large picture of a brown pelican hanging over her bed. Then, as my grandma and I were carrying some of her things out to the car I realized that on her purse woven out of straw was another brown pelican. At first I thought this was just a coincidence, but then two days later I was over my cousin’s house and sitting on his dock was a big beautiful brown pelican. This was the reassurance that I needed so I could have a better understanding of how she was doing on the other side.
Two years later, as a fifteen year old, the death that to this day is the hardest for me to swallow is the one of my great aunt Linda. My great aunt Linda did not have the best life while she was here on earth that’s for sure. She faced my hardships that she had no control of and was kind and loving to everyone. I just wish I wouldn’t have taken the time that I spent with her, the gifts she always seemed to give me, and the love she always showered upon me for granted. She ended up dying of colon cancer that spread to her liver and lungs. She did not deserve a death like that, but I believe it was her time to go and that was truly the only way to stop the suffering she had on earth. I felt a large amount of regret after her death and needed a sign that was a significant symbol that she was really with God. The next few mornings when I walked up the driveway to get the paper I heard the singing of a crimson cardinal. I would just watch the bird for a while, but not really think much of it or think there was any connection to Linda. Then that day was the funeral in New Jersey that I was not able to attend, but my grandma told me that there were beautiful pictures of cardinals in the room that Linda’s wake was held. It all finally clicked and I thanked God that second for the sign he sent me.
It may be a stretch for some to understand where I am coming from with this idea, but this is something I believe in strongly that helps me get through each day. I have faith that God sends signs to people that their loved ones are in his hands.
I believe in life after death because God has inadvertently sent my family and I signs that our lost loved ones are in his presence and care.
When I was ten, I lost my great-great aunt Jo to old age. Now one might ask, “How well can you really know a relative like this?” Considering most people do not even meet their great-great relatives. Well on the contrary ever since I was a baby I had spent many days over my grandparent’s house. In this house lived my great-great aunt Jo, my great grandpa and grandma Weber, as well as my grandpa and grandma Bevillard. So throughout the years I grew extremely close to all of them.
As a result, my great-great aunt Jo’s death was the first one I had ever experienced, and it was really tough on me considering I grew up with her in my life since I was a baby. That day at Hope Hospice I had a calming presence come over me that reassured my thoughts of her entering into Heaven. There was just one problem, as a kid I felt I needed concrete evidence or a sign from God that showed me that she was ok and with Him. So as I walked outside onto the patio that was connected to her room my eyes caught the sight of an amazing butterfly garden, and right then I saw the most beautiful butterfly I had ever seen in my life. I said a prayer that very instant thanking God for letting me know that she was with Him.
One year later, it was my great grandpa Weber’s time to go. I was eleven now, and was starting to wonder why I was losing people that I love care for so much. So on this rainy Father’s day, my family and I wait in a hospital room as he takes his last few deep breaths alive on this earth. As he drifts away into an interminable sleep I slowly see the tears drip down the faces of all who are in the room. Then, I suddenly peer out the window to find a rainbow stretching across the sky. Right then I knew that I had connected with God again as my great grandpa Weber was being welcomed into His kingdom.
As I became a teenager at the age of thirteen, I was hit with the death of my beloved great grandma Weber. This death also left a gaping hole in my heart. My great grandma Weber was placed into Hope Hospice because the doctors knew with her old age that it was only a matter of time before she passed. A few days later she died peacefully in her sleep, and as we were collecting her things out of the room at Hospice the next day, I finally noticed a large picture of a brown pelican hanging over her bed. Then, as my grandma and I were carrying some of her things out to the car I realized that on her purse woven out of straw was another brown pelican. At first I thought this was just a coincidence, but then two days later I was over my cousin’s house and sitting on his dock was a big beautiful brown pelican. This was the reassurance that I needed so I could have a better understanding of how she was doing on the other side.
Two years later, as a fifteen year old, the death that to this day is the hardest for me to swallow is the one of my great aunt Linda. My great aunt Linda did not have the best life while she was here on earth that’s for sure. She faced my hardships that she had no control of and was kind and loving to everyone. I just wish I wouldn’t have taken the time that I spent with her, the gifts she always seemed to give me, and the love she always showered upon me for granted. She ended up dying of colon cancer that spread to her liver and lungs. She did not deserve a death like that, but I believe it was her time to go and that was truly the only way to stop the suffering she had on earth. I felt a large amount of regret after her death and needed a sign that was a significant symbol that she was really with God. The next few mornings when I walked up the driveway to get the paper I heard the singing of a crimson cardinal. I would just watch the bird for a while, but not really think much of it or think there was any connection to Linda. Then that day was the funeral in New Jersey that I was not able to attend, but my grandma told me that there were beautiful pictures of cardinals in the room that Linda’s wake was held. It all finally clicked and I thanked God that second for the sign he sent me.
It may be a stretch for some to understand where I am coming from with this idea, but this is something I believe in strongly that helps me get through each day. I have faith that God sends signs to people that their loved ones are in his hands.
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3 comments:
The author tells this story to exlpainther belief of how god sends messages to those who have lost loved ones.
It is explained well, with many past experiences as reasons to why they believe this to be true.
The advice i would give to this autor would be to reread there essay because there were some mistakes. Just a few here and there. overall though it was well organized with some what of a timeline as they grew up. The author also supported there belief with reasons
The author of this essay did a good job of showing his/her belief and the reasons behind it.It was well organized and was able to show how much that those people mean to him/her and how the affect his/her life.
The advice that I would give is you need a lttle more detail like for example describe each relative more in detailed and how did the affect your life, what did they do or what things about stood out to you , or something you learned from them that you would never forget. As a reader I would like to be able to feel more sympathy or in a way relate. Just be a little more in depth. But overall it is a good essay just a little few mistakes here and there but its okay its a rough draft.
There is a clear belief and several examples of experiences that have led you to hold it. You might consider whether believing in life after death is really your focus or if it's more that God sends us signs about our deceased loved ones. Right now, most of the essay is spent on relating the incidents connected to your deceased relatives and the signs you found that you beleive were messages from God. I think you need to spend more time on the belief in signs itself.
Especially at the end of the essay, consider exploring what this belief means to you, why you think you hold it, why God does it, and so on. Even readers who are non-believers would be interested in why you think this is a good belief to hold and what it means to you.
I wonder how you think readers will react to having four experiences. Is this the type of thing you wouldn't believe if it only happened once? It's also interesting that you state that as a child you needed "concrete evidence or a sign from God" to know certain things. The Bible talks about having the faith of a child, but people usually interpret this as being the opposite of needing concrete proof. The relationship between having faith and needing proof is ripe for exploration.
PS: Reconsider the word "inadvertently" early on. It suggests that God does things accidentally, when I think you mean that he does it indirectly.
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