A Glimpse of Heaven

By Susan Dollyhigh –

“At Christmas, all roads lead home,” Marjorie Holmes said. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere but home at Christmas. With the excitement of a small child, I anticipated gathering with my five siblings and each of our families at Mama and Daddy’s house on Christmas Eve. Like the snow on our jackets, the years melted away as we walked in the door where Mama’s outstretched arms met us with soft hugs, laughter greeted our ears, and the smell of delicious home-cooking tantalized our taste buds.

My parents were only in their mid-fifties, and I had never imagined our Christmas celebrations changing, and certainly not anytime soon. However, on December 10th, 1991, Daddy went into respiratory failure, was rushed to the ER, resuscitated and placed on a ventilator. A few days later, he suffered a stroke, and his condition only deteriorated.

Christmas Eve found my family gathered in a cold, sterile intensive care unit of the hospital. “I’m sorry,” the doctor said. “His EEG is flat, and he’s not responding to any stimuli. The ventilator is the only thing keeping your dad alive. Unfortunately, you have a decision to make.”

But Daddy had already made that decision; he’d told us he didn’t want to be kept alive by machines if there was no hope for recovery.

Daddy was taken off the ventilator and moved to a private room. When I walked in to see him, I noticed his eyes were open as they had been in ICU, but something was different. Then Daddy, who’s EEG was flat, began talking to us in a low, raspy whisper. Yet when doctors or nurses checked on him, he returned to staring straight ahead, and made no attempt to respond.

On Christmas morning, a single red poinsettia graced the window ledge of that hospital room. As we gathered around Daddy’s bed, he got a far-off look in his eyes and spoke to us of heaven and angels. “Jesus is here in this room,” he said. Standing there that Christmas morning, I reflected on Jesus coming to earth 2000 years before, and realized that once again, He had come down to earth and given my family not only a Christmas miracle, but a little glimpse of heaven, through our Daddy’s eyes.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your love and grace, and for the blessing of miracles. Amen

Bible Verse: “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted” (Job 9:10 NIV).

A New Year’s Resolution

By Susan Dollyhigh –

The young woman’s body shook and her tears flowed. Kathy* had just moved into the homeless shelter, and she was in the early stages of drug and alcohol withdrawal. When Kathy learned we were having Bible study, she ran from the room, came right back, Bible in hand and tears still flowing.

Having just celebrated the New Year, we talked about resolutions and how they are changes we want to make in our lives. We talked about the Potter and the clay, and how our Father is in the continual process of molding and changing our lives to shape us into the beautiful vessels that He wants us to become.

As we made a list of our resolutions for the New Year, Kathy shared that she had already made hers. She had been saved through faith in Christ just a month earlier. Ever since that time, Kathy had planned for the next day to be her last day to drink and get high. Kathy had truly encountered Christ, but she was afraid of being sober. Yet over the past month, while praying and studying God’s Word, He had given her the power to finally say “no more.”

Another resident then encouraged Kathy as she shared how God had helped her survive a similar experience. This woman was so very kind and loving and supportive and she assured Kathy she would be there to help her. She then closed her eyes, lifted her face toward heaven and sang “What a Day That Will Be.” As she sang to her Lord, all of her worries seemed to melt from her face.

This woman laid aside her own problems to minister to Kathy. Are we able to and put aside our problems and minister to others in need? Do we truly encounter our Father when we close our eyes and lift our faces toward heaven? We will if only we have faith as great as this precious homeless woman.

*Name changed.

Prayer: Father, please help us to be flexible, soft, clay. Help us to allow You to mold us into the beautiful vessels that You want us to become.

“Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8 NIV).

A Season of Hope

By Susan Dollyhigh –

Gathering around the kitchen table at the homeless shelter, we lit the purple Advent candle that symbolizes hope. Hope that this small group of women had long-ago abandoned. Hope that I’d sometimes forsaken as well.

I reminded the women that as Christians we have great reason to hope.

“The prophet Isaiah gave the world hope when he foretold the birth of Christ,” I said. “Jesus gave us eternal hope after He came to earth and promised to return and take us with him. That eternal hope surpasses the condition of our lives here on earth.”

Even the condition of illness.
Even the condition of job loss.
Even the condition of domestic violence.
Even the condition of just being released from jail.
Even the condition of struggling with an addiction.
All of the conditions that lead to homelessness, we concurred.

We made lists of things we hope for: this week, this Christmas season, next year, and for the rest of our lifetime here on earth.

We talked about the hope we have that someday Christ will take us to our permanent heavenly home where there will be no more illness, no more job loss, no more sin, no more homelessness, and no more death. We tried to imagine what our life in Heaven will be like, and how we’ll feel when we see Jesus face-to-face.

As we talked, the peace that passes understanding replaced expressions of worry.

At that moment, an uninvited guest showed up. He loves to steal our joy, and remind us of sins our Father has forgotten. He did just that as he reminded one of the ladies of her past sins.

Shirley’s face drooped with sadness, “I know I’m going to Heaven,” she said. “but I have a feeling I’ll be in the back of the crowd and won’t be able to see Jesus. I’ve just done too many bad things in my life.”

Janice chimed in, “Yeah, I’ll probably be in the back too.”

“You know,” I said, “if all the sinners have to be in the back of the crowd, there won’t be anyone up front with Jesus! He’ll be all alone.”

They slowly smiled. They just needed a reminder, as do we all in this season of Advent. We have hope. We have the good news of great joy that is for all the people. In the town of David, a Savior was born and He is Christ the Lord.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for the hope we have because of the wonderful gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV).

Surprise Sally

By Susan Dollyhigh –

“Eating words has never given me indigestion, and I never felt discomfort in my abdomen after I chewed and swallowed,” Winston Churchill once said.

I have to agree. Some of the sweetest words I’ve ever eaten were, “I will never have a dog live in my house.”

God spoke to my heart in July 1996, and this non-puppy person had an overwhelming desire to surprise my son, Eric, with a Basset Hound on his 15th birthday. We chose Sally from a litter of ten adorable puppies who tripped all over their ears as they ran and played that sunny, summer day. We brought that trembling puppy home with us, and my maternal instincts kicked in. I held Sally close to soothe and comfort her, and surprisingly felt my heart being soothed and comforted in return. Looking into brown puppy eyes, I discovered what I’d missed over the years by not having a pet to love, and a pet to love me.

Sally was the wonderful distraction my family needed as my beautiful daughter, Emily, dwindled away from us and into an eating disorder. We tried to maintain our lives through counseling sessions, doctor’s visits, and extended hospital stays. But the days were long and dark as Emily’s condition deteriorated. Sally, with her heart-shaped spot, loved and comforted us through those difficult days that turned into weeks and then months and then years.

Many changes occurred in our lives over the next twelve years. But this dog, who I thought was for my son, turned out to be my faithful companion. Sally eased the adjustment as our family moved across the country. She stayed close by as my children left home for college. Sally comforted me through many long and sleepless nights after my mother passed. She helped me transition as we moved back to North Carolina where she lived out her last years. Sally taught me how to love in a way that I never had before.

Sadly, the day came when Sally had taught me all that I was supposed to learn from her. When the vet picked up Sally’s lifeless paw, placed it on the ink pad, and then pressed it to the keepsake paper, my heart ached and tears streamed down my cheeks. But I knew Sally had left this earth having fulfilled her mission. Sally left her paw print on my heart, and taught me many lessons on unconditional love.

QUOTE: A pet is someone who listens with their heart, speaks with a look, and teaches with love. (Seen in vet’s office)

“Ask the animals, and they will teach you…In God’s hand is the life of every creature, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7 and10).

Filled to the Measure

By Susan Dollyhigh –

My stomach growled, and my eyes searched for a clock, as if needing to confirm the body’s signal for hunger. The clock, strategically hung over a snack machine, confirmed that I’d missed lunch. As I sat there in the waiting room of the full-service car wash, I glanced out the window where soap suds and water were flying, and all thoughts of counting points for my diet washed out of my brain.

I knew better. I’d been taught H.A.L.T., the acronym for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired – conditions that leave us vulnerable to temptation. But five hours had passed since my skimpy breakfast of a mini-bagel, and “H” had taken control of my brain.

From that moment on, I operated on auto-pilot. Pick up purse from floor; pull out wallet, open change compartment, dig out quarters, walk over to snack machine. My eyes settled on a bag of baked cheese crackers, and I rationalized, those aren’t so bad. But with quarters ready to slide into the slot, my eyes slid down – to the peanut butter sandwich crackers, known as Nabs. In Weight Watchers, one pack of Nabs counts five points- which is equivalent to a whole meal.

Those Nabs were good. I washed them down with Diet Coke. No harm done, that will be my lunch.

However, when I returned home, I found myself in the kitchen foraging for food. I opened a cabinet. Hmm; think I’ll have a cookie. Munch. Munch. Those chips look pretty good. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Whoa! Sanity returned and I realized I’d certainly put more than enough calories into my body. So why am I still hungry?

I looked at the cookies and chips in the cabinet. Because I’ve filled my body with junk! I finally poured healthy cereal into a bowl, and covered it with skim milk. I sat down at the kitchen table, ate the cereal, and felt nourishment flow throughout my body. Whew, finally contentment.

I’ve found the same thing is true of our souls. Many times we try to fill them with “junk” by eating or starving ourselves, sleeping or being a workaholic, making money or being a shopaholic. We may turn to drugs or alcohol, or even try to dull our senses with TV or the internet. But none of these things satisfy us, and any of these things in excess can even end up hurting us. Our souls were designed to be filled only with Christ. When we allow Him to fill us, He gives us the power to let go of destructive things, and to find peace that comes only from our souls being filled to the measure with the fullness of God – and we are finally free to experience true contentment.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, thank You for dwelling in our hearts. Thank You for loving us. Please help us to grasp and to know Your great love so that we may be filled to the measure with all the fullness of You.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV).

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