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Sweet Messengers
November 29, 2008

Christmas was still a long was off when Lori Poczekaj’s father became ill. Her mother rented a wheelchair and insisted on caring for him at home. “Dad was still very energetic,” Lori says. “We hoped he would have the strength to get well and spend many more holidays with us.”

Lori’s father had built the house the elderly couple lived in. It was on the edge of a field bordered with pine trees. “And although there were always animals around, during the twenty years they had lived in the house, they had seen a deer only twice,” Lori recalls. “It was odd, since the woods seemed like the perfect place for deer to live.” Now, as his world grew smaller, Lori’s father stayed in his wheelchair, looking out the dining room’s sliding glass doors.

Once his wife asked, “Wouldn’t you like to sit in the living room so you can watch the cars go by, and wave to our neighbors?”

“No, I’d rather sit here and look for animals,” he replied. “Maybe I’ll finally see some.”

When Lori’s mother told her abut the conversation, Lori went home and prayed. “I asked God to let my dad see a deer, the most tranquil of all animals, while he was sitting in that wheelchair,” she says. “I was very specific about it.”

When no deer appeared, Lori amended her prayer. “Okay, God,” she said. “How about any animal? A raccoon, opossum, even a neighbor’s cat? You know how much this would mean to Dad.”

But nothing happened, and eventually Lori’s father was confined to his bed. It was clear that her father wasn’t going to see any animals or celebrate another Christmas. Lori prayed, but now she was angry. “God, I know I’m not supposed to question my faith, but I’m having a hard time.” Would she have to wait until after her father died? Would God send a sign to let her know Dad was safe with Him?

Lori’s father died just before dawn one morning. An hour later, Lori and most of her seven brothers and sisters had assembled in the house, weeping or lost in a daze. Life would never be the same for any of them. Was Dad in heaven? How would they know?
Suddenly one of Lori’s brothers looked out the sliding glass doors. “Hey, everybody, come here!” he called.

Lori and the others went to the door. “Standing in the back yard, maybe twenty feet away, were ten or eleven deer,” Lori recalls. “None of us had seen them approach.” The animals stood motionless, facing the house, as if at attention. For a moment, they looked calmly at the hushed family. Then, as if their mission had been accomplished, they turned in unison and bounded away.

No one has seen the mysterious herd since. “But whenever I am missing my dad, I remember that morning and it always eases my mind,” says Lori. She knows without a doubt that her father celebrates Christmas every day.

© 1998 Joan Wester Anderson www.joanwanderson.com Originally appeared in Woman’s Day Magazine.

consider this warning Paul gave: "See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22)

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quote:
Originally posted by House of David:
I believe God allows these types of encounters to happen. Stories about the supernatural are always interesting, and encouraging.

Hi David,

I agree with you completely. In that story, I saw answered prayer. Not the prayer for her dad to see animals before he died -- but, the answer to her prayer to know that her father was in heaven with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A similar thing happened to me. For about twenty years, my step-father had my mother in a cult church. In 1987, when I became a Christian believer, I began to worry about my mother's salvation. I did not want to break up their marriage -- but, I prayed so often to God about how I could make sure my mother truly received Jesus Christ without breaking up their marriage. This really weighed heavily on my heart.

In the early 1990s, my mom had a stroke and when I went home to be with her in Helen Keller Hospital, we had time to talk. One day we were talking and something came up about sin and salvation. I told mom, "No matter what a person has done -- even if he/she has murdered 20 people; if he/she receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior -- that person is forgiven and saved."

Her answer floored me. She quietly said, "I didn't know that." I could not believe she had been in a church for twenty years and did not know this. But, this also made me ask myself, "How many other people, people we know and see every day, do not know this?"

And, this is part of what has caused me to become a Christian apologist and evangelist.

A few years later, my mom had another stroke and my step-father moved her from her life-long home in the Alabama -- to Arkansas so that he could be close to his daughter. My mom had lived in the same house, with the same telephone number, for almost fifty years. And, now that she was not well, he had sold her house and moved her to Arkansas. I was a wee bit unhappy.

Several months later, he and his daughter put mom into a convalescent nursing home. I was so angry -- it was a good thing I was not in the same room with him. But, then, God put on my heart, "You have been praying for a way to have her saved. This is that way."

I called the nursing home and asked the lady who answered if there was a Baptist church close by. As it turned out, there was one right next door. I called the pastor and talked with him about my mom. Happily, that church held Bible studies in the nursing home. The pastor visited her, took her a new Bible, and got her involved in their Bible study.

About six months later, he and I were talking and he told me that he had led her in a prayer for salvation; but, was not sure if she really understood. I told him that is why I had not tried over the telephone; her strokes had left her often confused.

Several months later, she had another stroke and went into a coma. I flew to Arkansas on Sunday and on Tuesday she passed away. On Wednesday we transported her home to Alabama and on Thursday had a viewing at the mortuary in Muscle Shoals.

At this point, I had no idea if my mom had been saved or not. That is a very disturbing feeling. Just before the viewing was to begin, before a crowd came in, I walked to the casket to be with her. As I stood there -- and keep in mind that this is super conservative Bill Gray saying this, one who does not speak in tongues, one whose greatest activity in worship service is to discreetly shake my booty while we are singing a fast praise song -- yet, standing there, I heard a voice as clear as any voice I have ever heard. This voice said, very clearly, very distinctly, "Don't worry. She is with Me now."

That was blessed assurance directly from the Holy Spirit Himself. My brother, Bob, who was standing not too far away, did not hear the voice. But, I heard it loud and clear.

Before that, if anyone had told me that God spoke to him/her -- I would have smiled, and quickly walked away. Don't want to be too close to someone who is hallucinating. But, from that moment by the casket, I am a believer. God, at His chosen time and for His chosen reason -- does speak to people. I will forever attest to that.

About three minutes later, my cousin, Pauline, walked up to stand beside me. Knowing that Pauline was a wailer (she could wail and cry with the best of them) -- I quickly put my arms around her shoulders and told her, "Pauline, mom is in heaven right now with Jesus Christ. She has no more pain, no more sorrows -- she is the happiest she has ever been. We are not going to cry. We are going to celebrate her Home Going."

And, mom's viewing and burial the next day -- were truly celebrations of her Home Going.

So, David, I truly do relate to your story.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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I'm confused. God sent the deer? He sent the deer after the guy had died? He basically said to the guy's daughter, "I could have answered your prayer, but I didn't, and I just wanted to show you I didn't. And just to make sure you understand how little your prayer meant, I sent a whole bunch"?

Great story. I look forward to more. Roll Eyes

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