This thread is wonderful. Dawn’s story is amazing. I envy anyone who has received assurance of a guardian angel! For any hope it might give someone, I have a story to share as well.
When I was a teenager (a looooong time ago!
) I lived in Denmark as an exchange student. During my time there I was befriended by an elderly couple, who kind of came to be surrogate grandparents to me. I stayed with them on weekends, went on trips with them, etc. The gentleman, Kai, had visited the U.S. as a young man. There was a painting of George Washington, and an American flag, hanging in their living room. Kai talked all the time about taking Kirsten, his wife, to see the U.S.
So during the course of the year, we made plans that they would come to visit my family when I went home again. They were fairly concrete plans.
Also during the course of the year, Kai and I had some spiritual discussions. I was at a point in my life that so many teens experience, when I had no idea what I believed in. I was so afraid there was no God, no afterlife. I voiced that fear to Kai one day in the course of conversation - that I felt there was no afterlife - and he nodded and said that he just didn’t know either. We left it at that. I had come to know that Kai was conflicted about religion in general, and considered himself an agnostic.
At the end of my stay, my parents came from the U.S. to fetch me, and met my Danish family, and Kai and Kirsten. The night they arrived, we all had a big dinner together. I was seated at the opposite end of the table from Kai and my parents, so I didn’t hear their conversation, but I found out later that apparently Kai had shared with them that he wanted to be buried with an American flag. He brought it up out of the blue, and in such a way that my mom and dad found it a bit strange, but they were amused by it, and charmed by Kai, and just laughed it off later.
On the day before we were to leave, my parents and I went to Kai and Kirsten’s for a last meal. As we prepared to leave them, I said to Kai, “I’ll see you in a few months, I guess.” and he said, "I don’t know. . . " and I was slightly angry because this was something we had planned and he seemed to be backing out of our plans. I was disappointed, I guess. Then before I could speak, he looked really deeply into my eyes, and took my hand, and said, “But I know I will see you again!” and he just stared into my eyes, like he wanted to say something more, but didn’t.
He had given me a little box to open later, and after we left, I opened it and found a silver chain with three charms - an anchor, a heart, and a cross - hope, charity, faith.
The next morning my family was to depart. I went to school for the last time to say goodbye to my classmates, taking my sister with me. We returned to my Danish ‘home’ around noon, and I was met at the door by my Danish father, who was trying to tell me something, and was upset. In his heightened emotion, he stammered the words in German rather than Danish - but I understood them well. “Kai died in the night.” Immediately, my mind flashed to his last words to me, “I know I will see you again!”
Kai was in his 70’s, and had had the only heart attack he ever had. No warning. He was in perfect health, as far as he or anyone else knew.
I believed then, and I still believe, that Kai had known his time was near, and knew other things too, that he hadn’t before. I know he was trying to share his newfound secrets with me. That he WAS going somewhere real. That he would see me again, not in this life, but the next.
I still have that necklace and the charms. It is tarnished. I keep it as a reminder that faith is not in vain. I have long since moved past the doubts of my youth, of course. But that necklace I guess represents one of the greatest gifts any other human being ever gave me - the gift of hope.
You misunderstand me. I have no intention on ceasing to debate. However, I will not waste my time debating with people who think slavery is worse than abortion. I have learned over the years that when certain minds cannot grasp the true evil of abortion, than nothing I can say will change their views (I believe their minds have been closed to truth). In those cases they are best left to the Holy Spirit with the hope that a change and conversion of heart can be brought to those people. I will continue to chat with, and debate with, people who have some clarity of mind.
And not all was dark in colonial days. I would say that as a society of man, our spiritual poverty is far greater now. I agree with IrishPatrick, this is one of the most depraved of the eras. Poverty is about far more than money.
Helped me on the highway and led me to the right road but their car literally disappeared after I was headed in the right direction. I mean before my eyes disappeared. Hope I am not derailing the thread.