When there's nothing left to do

[mqf]

A little over 20 years ago, just after I was saved, I had a dream about my mom. I had not told her I was saved and was for some reason afraid to, but the Lord gave me this dream.

I was sitting on a hill next to the throne of God and I was watching Him as He sat upon His throne and my mother stood before Him. A very large angel was standing beside her and he had his hand on her arm. He was leading her away from the Lords throne. She kept looking at God saying, "I never knew, no one ever told me". But she was led away anyways.

I woke up very distraught and was determined that I could never let her stand before God and say those words. I met her for coffee and knew she would be very interested in what I was going to tell her. She had some very new age beliefs and I knew that a dream would get her attention. I shared the gospel message, shared the dream and kept sharing till I knew in my heart and spirit that she could not say those words to the Lord. Today, she passed away. She never made any commitment to Jesus that I know of and I have no idea what her last couple of days in the hospital were like. I prayed for her salvation off and on these last 20 years, shared with her the works of God in my life and did all that I thought I could do.

When all is said and done, whatever grievances family members have, whatever differences in belief, it seems so small considering the cost of a life now gone. Though we were never close, I still grieve and feel disoriented a little. I can longer do anything about the past but I can do something different with the future and with the lives that still live around me. Let's forgive, love and be the life and light of Christ to those we know.

 

[Eyesee]

I know exactly how you feel. My mother was a very upright and victorian woman, but despite all of my efforts to bring her to a public decision for Jesus, she just never got there. Being a professed Catholic, she didn't grasp the concept of grace very well. In many ways she was self-righteous and unforgiving towards those who offended her. But my dad also treated her awful and I know she was not always like that. I think over time, she just grew bitter . I saw the LORD touch her whenever I brought her to church, but as to what happened in her heart, I'll never know. She passed away quite unexpectedly and I had a very awful dream about her shortly after she died -- I don't know whether it was God or the enemy. The enemy has a way of playing around in our dreams sometimes. My pastor back home talked about this a little bit after his wife died. In a dream, she accused him of causing her death from cancer. Several weeks later, God did in fact give him a true dream from him concerning her. Although I have asked God repeatedly for that concerning my mother, I have not got it.

One thing that comes to mind as I write this is my father, who most definately did not know the LORD. And yet, God gave him a bazillion times to repent and he FINALLY did. The fact that he lived as long as he did given his physical condition was miraculous....even by his unbelieving doctor's standards; but God in His great mercy would not let that man pass until he had acknowledged Jesus as his Saviour.

I have to believe that God in His mercy somehow got through to my mother, otherwise surely He would have led me along with her as He did my father. One thing you have to understand that if you wanted so badly to see her saved, how much more God? Would He not have done everything in his power to get her to acknowledge him? You're going to have to trust that he did. I know He did with my father.

Read Genesis 18:1-33. I hope that sheds some light on this situation for you. If it doesn't lets talk about it a little more.

God bless you brother.

 

[SearcherKris]

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[MastersPiece]

MQF,
I'm so sorry about this. One never knows if the Lord got thru to her in her dying moments - He is so full of grace.
I will tell you a little story here: A year ago my 22 year old cousin, Sam, OD'd on cocaine & marijuana. He was in the hospital for a week - the doctors said he was brain dead. The family had all given up hope..most of them were not believers. I was praying mainly for his soul that somehow Papa would get thru to him if he had to die. Well a few days later he died and we all grieved. I kept questioning Abba as to the condition of his soul but received no answer. Three months later I was staying in a hotel room with 2 of my cousins during an excursion.. they all went to a pub for drinks but I stayed in the hotel. While in there I prayed that God would give my unsaved cousins dreams from Him. The next morning 1 of my cousins said she had a dream! She dreamed she saw Sam standing at the edge of the water on a beach - His face was illuminated in light and he was smiling broadly. The Lord answered my inquiry thru my cousin's dream! He had somehow gotten thru to Sam while he was in the coma and Sam had given his life to Jesus (symbolized by the bright light on his face).. standing at the edge of the water symbolized him being on the cusp of the spirit. The Lord is extremely proficient - Because of this dream, I got to explain it to these unsaved family members and be a witness for the Lord. Don't know why it took Him 3 months to answer me, but it is His way to answer in His time and not ours.

 

[mqf]

MastersPiece

Thank you for sharing your story. I too once prayed about something very important and it took 3 months before I got my answer. I'm still trying to understand a detail or two about the answer. No matter where my mother is now, there is nothing more I can do about it. If this has done anything for me, it has given me the urgency to make sure things are right between people and myself and to make sure I get the gospel message out to them.

My mother and I were never close for a variety of reasons and though they seemed like good reasons, they kept us apart. I held onto those reasons as an excuse not to draw close but now if I had wanted to, it can not be undone. They seem like stupid reasons now.

 

[humblewatchman]

. Let's forgive, love and be the life and light of Christ to those we know.

Yes, if we do anything less we are not walking in the Spirit. Thank you for refreshing us in that way. I am sorry to hear of your mama's passing, and so proud of you for taking this dream and being obedient to Him.

Your dream "was" your confirmation that your mother would be saved. God gave you that dream, and you were odebient in speaking with her (even if you were not possibly aware that you were being obedient at the time). When we are faithful and obedient, we are rewarded.

Deuteronomy 11:13-15
" So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied"

Our Father God is faithful and hears our prayers. What He intiates, He finishes. He called her and she is in heaven with Him. While you may miss her, be at peace that this is so. The Lord spoke this word to me.

 

[mqf]

Thank you Humblewatchman

You have given me much to think about.

 

[parsley]

So sorry to hear about your mother's passing.

One never knows if the Lord got thru to her in her dying moments - He is so full of grace.
Because of this dream, I got to explain it to these unsaved family members and be a witness for the Lord.

You might even find something she wrote, while going through her paperwork.

Everyone makes choices. You gave her the information she needed to make the choice, and the rest is often internal, with prayers and intents.

Someone I taught in Sunday school died of a drug overdose years later. I had heard he was in the hospital, but did not know his physical state. I was sitting in the back row of church, when I felt like his spirit was behind me.

That sort of thing went against my personal doctrine -- I didn't want to conjure up spirits of the dead, or pray to angels, or put myself at risk in other ways. But still, I could not deny what was going on. So I started praying. Then I thought, how can I at least acknowledge him? So I put my hand up on my shoulder, as though I were reaching for his hand.

It took place in a different church, and I hadn't seen him in years. I went to a scheduled activity that afternoon and found I had just missed his funeral service.

I didn't speak with his mom until months after, because it seemed awkward. She was still grieving over not knowing where his heart was with the Lord. I apologized for not visiting him in the hospital, and she said it was too late then -- he was already in a coma.

I told her my experience, and she burst out in tears. To her, that indicated he had made an effort to connect with his Christian past, and was not holding on to bitterness. It made a huge difference for both of us -- and hopefully for him.

 

[mqf]

He called her and she is in heaven with Him. While you may miss her, be at peace that this is so. The Lord spoke this word to me.

Although I want to believe this, I find this difficult to do. I know the assurance of my salvation and I can speak to the same of many I know, for I see the evidence of salvation in their lives. Perhaps this is the evidence of the lack of faith in my life. I have had many tell me that the Lord told them this or that and it turn out not to be true. I don't doubt your sincerity and I don't want to think about her being in hell so for now I choose not to think about it at all.

I've always thought of salvation as a choice that we make as a result of the Lords work in our lives. He will not force it upon us for love doesn't demand it's own way. Did she makes a decision for Christ near the end of her life. I don't know and I don't want to declare something to be true if I don't know that it is.

What He intiates, He finishes

I believe this to be true and your reminder has caused me to rethink about my marital issues in light of this. Thanks

 

[humblewatchman]

I understand. But, what you need to see is that He gave you the dream.....He initiated what you walked through with her. It wasn't you at all. She must have listened and done the right thing afterward. Ask the Lord to confirm this word for you. He will do so. He will not leave you wondering. It is wise to question a given word from the Lord and seek His confirmation. I would expect you to do that, as any Christian would. So, please do ask Him.

 

[MastersPiece]

Although I want to believe this, I find this difficult to do. I know the assurance of my salvation and I can speak to the same of many I know, for I see the evidence of salvation in their lives. Perhaps this is the evidence of the lack of faith in my life. I have had many tell me that the Lord told them this or that and it turn out not to be true. I don't doubt your sincerity and I don't want to think about her being in hell so for now I choose not to think about it at all.

It is wise to always test the spirits, amen