Possible

Some will read my previous post in utter disbelief.  They can’t fathom that someone who’s died can reach out again.

My daughter, Elizabeth, and I have discussed Ruth’s contact on multiple occasions.  The boys and I have talked too, but they’re more prone to listen.  David has spoken about his father-in-law, Larry’s, return as a dove because Larry called it.  He told them that would happen.

Last Sunday afternoon I spoke with Elizabeth about Gary and my visit from Ruth the prior day.  As I told her what happened she spoke of a similar encounter that same Saturday.  She was riding in the car with Michael, Kate, and young Jackson James.  Jackson was having a good time interacting with the three of them and suddenly his demeanor changed.  He got a frown on his face.  When Elizabeth asked why, he said, “I’m sad.”

And right on cue, the toy phone he was carrying said, “Don’t be sad.  Be happy.”  The three of them were shocked to hear the voice and its directive. They’d heard the phone speak before but never those words.  Elizabeth believes, and I concur, it was her mom. It’s just one more example of Ruth contacting us.

Some would explain these “contacts” as electronic malfunctions.  Lamps can have an electrical short or bad bulb. Smoke alarm batteries fail. Roomba vacuums get stuck in corners all the time.  Some children’s toys are programed to speak. I don’t deny any of this.  What I can’t explain is the timing.  Smoke alarms don’t fail at the exact time someone dies in a car crash. Lamps don’t go dark because someone uses the word “off”.   And children’s toys don’t offer unprogrammed words of encouragement.

Several decades ago, my Aunt Millie had encephalitis. It’s an inflammation of the brain tissue. The most common cause is viral infections.  In her case, she slipped into a coma for several weeks. Millie was my mom’s youngest sibling.  According to our family’s verbal history, the first thing she said when she woke up was, “Grandma told me to go back home.”  Her grandmother had been dead for several years.

Billions of people believe in things they’ve never seen.  While we all don’t believe in the same things, we share a common thread.  We believe in them because we were told to.  Some call that faith.  In its simplest form, faith is complete trust in someone or something.  I’m not a student of the Bible but Hebrews 11:1 reads: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Please don’t misunderstand.  I’m not saying that my assertions regarding Ruth are the same as believing in God.  I’m just saying there are things we can’t see, and don’t fully understand, but they’re still possible.