Unexpected Visitors

 
We had some uninvited, but welcomed, guests join us on Christmas Day. Actually, they arrived on Christmas Eve, prior to our getting to my in-laws’ house, but only my father-in-law, Bill, saw them.

Bill’s sister, Kathy, recently had to put one of her beloved dogs, Lucas, to rest. It’s been an incredibly difficult time for her as any animal lover can appreciate, and while visiting her during the day on Christmas Eve, Bill offered words of comfort as she grieved. “Lucas is up there looking down on you, Kathy. He’s up there with Dad and Deb (Kathy’s dear friend who passed unexpectedly a year ago), and he’s at peace.” 

That night, Bill and my mother-in-law, Jeanenne, head off to church. As the vocalist sings the Our Father — a favorite part of the service for both of them — Jeanenne, as always, bows her head with eyes closed, and Bill, as always, looks up at the ceiling. This time, however, Bill saw more than the beautiful architecture of the building.

“As clear as day,” he tells us on Christmas, “up at that ceiling, I saw my father’s face, with Deb standing next to him, and she was shaking Lucas’s paw.” Not one to cry easily, his eyes fill up with tears as he shares his incredible experience. I begin to cry as well. “I just kept staring, and they stayed there — Dad looking at me, and Deb smiling as big as always, holding Lucas’s paw. I just couldn’t believe it. And I couldn’t take my eyes off of them.”

It’s no secret that everyone doesn’t subscribe to my belief of life after death, or that our loved ones communicate with us from beyond. And before this experience, Bill would have been at the top of that list. He had heard us talk in the past about friends of ours who are mediums, psychics, spiritual communicators, etc, and always took it with a grain of salt or challenged the validity of it all. But, his experience in church that night tells me that he’s more open to the possibility because his loved ones felt it safe to come.

Their visit continued on Christmas Day, noted by lamps turning off (two at the same time), and other flickering electricity. Some powerful stuff was going on in that house! I hope Bill and Jeanenne continue to see it for what it’s meant to be — a message from loved ones on the Other Side, letting them know all is well.

So, do you acknowledge your visitors? How do you know when your loved ones are around?

Image by Brooke Anderson