Evidence

My 94-year-old grandmother's health is failing. For a woman who was diagnosed with congestive heart failure nearly five years ago, she's done remarkably well to be up and around for this long; but, though she has a very strong spirit, bodies don't last forever. She was put on hospice this week after taking a series of falls caused by the fact that her heart is not adequately pumping blood, which is depriving her muscles of oxygen. That and the increasing amount of water building up in her tissues despite medication is taking a major toll.

The family--including one of my aunts, who flew in from Iowa--gathered today at my parents' house in order to see my grandma and see each other. It was a big crowd, and each of us got a few minutes to speak to Grandma, who was too weak to get out of bed today. She's deteriorated a lot in the last twenty-four hours, but she still held our hands and was glad to see each of us.

It was good to see her and other family members. I haven't seen my sister, Ann, and her husband and son, since before Christmas last year because of the Coronavirus thing. Despite our worry for Grandma, we all enjoyed each others' company.

Here's an interesting thing that happened:

Yesterday, Husband, knowing we were heading into The Big City today to my parents' house, suddenly had a feeling that he needed something from the room that had once been his office. He was thinking it was a book--though he didn't know which book it was--and he knew precisely where to find it; he could see exactly where it was in his mind's eye.

Today, when we got to the house, he remembered it again and went out to look in that room, which is part of an addition built onto the back of the house, a room that hasn't really been used since we moved out. But there was no book. Instead, in the obscure cupboard to which he was led, he found my notes outlining the plan for the book I was writing about David from the Bible. The notes were the only thing in that cupboard. I don't know how they got put in there, but that's where they've been sitting for the last eleven years.

When he brought the notes to me in the house and explained how he'd found them, I nearly cried. I mean, it was an emotional gathering anyway--joy mixed with sorrow--but when I looked at those notes, I suddenly felt so strongly that they were back in my hands for a reason. I also mentally thanked Past Eva for being so thorough. I had written out timelines, developed character traits for the main characters, and done a lot of research into the historical details of the Biblical story. Present Eva will not have to reinvent the David and Samuel wheel. I was even impressed with the chapters I'd already written. Huh! I guess I do have some writing chops!

Husband told me that he can't think what book he was expecting to find. As he said with a little laugh, he didn't know he was looking for a book that hadn't been written yet. I told him that, see? he does get spiritual promptings like I do on occasion, the kind where you suddenly know something without knowing how and why you know it, and then, when you act on it, you find out the prompting was completely correct. I'm grateful this happened because he can see that he is perfectly capable of receiving such inspiration, and that it's not just me who can get it. He was convinced he wasn't capable of receiving such revelations.

Things like this--all the little miracles that God is constantly blessing us with--are why I'm not scared for my grandma--or for myself, when my time comes--because I know that there is a God who is so mindful of each of us individually that we can't even comprehend it. He knows each of us because He created each of us, and He loves and treasures each of us and will help us as much as we let Him.

I do not believe that Grandma will cease to be herself when her body dies. When her spirit passes through the veil from mortality to immortality, I have no doubt she will be welcomed by family members and her Savior into a place that is full of more love and light than any of us could imagine. When she falls at Jesus's feet and bathes them with her tears of gratitude, she will know that both our Heavenly Father and His son know her and love her to her very core. I hope she also feels that peace as her time on earth appears to be coming to a close.