Exceptional A grieving mother receives a message from Heaven. Please Don't Be Sad by Janilou Please remember those who are grieving this Christmas.

Category:  Spiritual Non-Fiction   Posted:  December 13, 2007      Views: 578

ABOUT JANILOU  Janilou is a woman who loves God. Much of her work reflects her faith. Christian music often inspires her work. She is honored to have been named FanStory's Short Works Author Of The Year, in 2007 and 2008, and thanks all of her wonderful fans for the ranking. Their comments and support are her inspiration! She writes whenever her dairy goats allow her to escape the milking barn. If she's not on FanStory, you might find her on Facebook, using her real name, Jan Anderegg. Quote Of The Day: "Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary." Sir James M Barrie She has won several contests. The contest submission Death By Taxes was the first place winner in the contest . Boys Will Be Boys was the first place winner in the contest . Twas The Night Before - Say What? was the first place winner in the contest . She is a top ranked author and is currently holding the #41 position. The Seal of Quality committee has rewarded her with 2 seals. Portfolio | Become A Fan Recently I wrote a fictional story called "East To West." Within that story, was a non-fictional reference to a young man in heaven and a message to his parents, read by Jesus. In my author's notes of "East To West", I mentioned Stephen, who was killed in Iraq on January 31, 2007. The message from Stephen within my story seemed so real, I wanted to share it with them, so several days ago, I printed out a copy of the story and took it to the Shannons' business.  My faith is strong, but how do you walk up to someone who has lost their child, and say, "Here is a story, and I believe it contains a message from your dead son."  I sat in the car and struggled with my feelings. Should I give this to them? Will it be too much? Should I write something on the envelope about there being a message within the story? After several minutes of arguing with myself, I felt God's reassurance I was doing the right thing. I wrote only their names on the front, and took it inside. Neither Dan or Joan were there, so I left it with one of their employees. Today, I received a Christmas card in the mail from their family. The enclosed letter spoke of their deep grief, their strong faith and the deep desire they felt to hear from God, or at least a reliable angel, that Stephen was okay. They wanted to know if he missed them too and how sorry they are.  I read that letter and cried as I spoke to God. "So it really was You urging me to share this story with them, Father God. Have they read it?  Do they know?"   I knew I had to call Joan. When she answered the phone, she said, "I'm so glad you called." She proceeded to share with me what happened a few nights before as she wrote out her Christmas cards and the family letter.  After writing out her brief Christmas letter, Joan had agonized over those words about wanting to hear from God about Stephen, not knowing if they should be included or not. What would people think? Finally, after showing her husband what she'd written, they decided to leave them in. By the time she'd finished writing all of her cards that night, it was nearly midnight and everyone else in her family was in bed. She looked across the table and saw the envelope her husband had mentioned earlier in the evening.  "Dan told me 'someone' dropped it off that day for them but he didn't know who or what it was," Joan said. "I set down my pen, picked up the envelope, and began reading your story, 'East To West.' When I reached the part about Stephen, I called out to my husband, getting him out of bed to read it." For those of you who didn't read "East To West" here is what it said . . . (REPORTER) "Jesus, this woman wants to know if her son is with you, up in Heaven." (JESUS) "Stephen? Of course he is there! He sent a message of his own along with me, because my Father told him you'd been asking." Jesus reached inside His robe and pulled out a note in the shape of a heart. Clearing His throat, He read,  'Dear Mom and Dad,  I love you so much. Please don't worry about me, and don't be sad. Life is not over when we leave Earth--it is just the beginning. Heaven is the most wonderful place in the entire universe. There is no pain here, no suffering, no fear or loneliness. I miss you, but it's kind of like when I was a little boy waiting for Christmas. I know the day is coming and I can't wait to see you, but even the waiting is exciting and fun.  God let me see you the other day through His eyes and you looked so sad. Please don't be sad, Mom, Dad. It's only for a little while and when you arrive here, we will never be apart again. Love, your son, Stephen As Joan read those words, she said it was one of those moments when you know a miracle has occurred, a defining moment in your faith. She asked God for a message from Stephen, and received one within hours of that heartfelt plea.  Neither of us could have planned the timing of these events. It was God's hand. A grieving mother cried out to Heaven and God answered.  He loves us that much.   Recognized Share your own writing! - Information on our membership for writers. Author Notes had no idea when I wrote "East To West", what a blessing it would be to both the Shannon family and to me. Please let me know if there is spag. This all happened just about an hour ago, and I am still very emotional about the whole event! :-) Hugs, Jan Pays one point and 2 member cents.

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