This week, I'm sharing this absolutely incredible story as told to me by my dear friend, Aaron, whom is a flight attendant. I hope that it inspires you as much as it does me. My jaw literally dropped when she first sent this to me. Just amazing.
"I am sitting in my gate area in Denver (by the way I never work a trip out of this base, but it just worked out today). This 70 year man approached me and there just so happened to be an empty seat beside me. He was asking me if my flight was delayed for hours too as his was (big storm in Denver). He was telling me all about his wife and how he promised her he would be home tonight in time for their big trip to Europe tomorrow. He said it’s times like this that I almost convince myself to just retire. I said, “you should if you can :) you never know what tomorrow will bring.” That lead to us exchange sad stories of people we knew who recently passed who never got to enjoy their retirement. And I said, “Well it’s ok, I like to think the ultimate retirement is in Heaven.” He agreed and then somehow he started talking about how he got to experience Heaven for a brief moment in his twenties. I could just tell from how he was talking how sincere, genuine, and heartfelt his story was going to be. He said if you don’t mind since we have time I’ll tell you all about it. Of course I was intrigued!! I told him I have read several books about it. He then proceeded to tell me how he and his two brothers were in a massive collision on a major highway in St. Louis one winter because of ice on the road. He said his entire right side of his body was basically crushed from impact and he was going in and out of consciousness. He said the whole time his one brother was holding on to him telling him to hang on and fight and that help was on the way. He said he didn’t have any pain until rescuers came to cut him out of the car to put him on the helicopter. He said at that point he was in such excruciating pain he prayed God would take his life. And he said all of the sudden he remembers floating outside of his body into darkness and seeing a bright light coming from the side all the way to meet him face to face. He said it was the FACE of JESUS shining so brightly and with such grandeur and color and such an instant peace and knowing ALL would be ok!!! He said Jesus knew everything about him and asked him how he was doing. And he said he looked at him and was completely honest with him saying how he was actually freaking out (Don is his name). Don said it still makes me laugh that my twenty year old self talked to the man of God in such a real and completely honest way. He said at my age now I feel like I would have talked with so much more reverence. He said he remembers Jesus even laughing at things they were talking about. And Don said there was such an rush of information exchanged between us in that short time and everything became so clear and made sense as to why everything happens in the world. It was as if I finally got it why the world is such a fallen world. He said he could literally see the earth getting smaller and smaller below him and Jesus kind of said in a firm and formal voice, “Donald what would you like to do?” And Don said, “What?! You mean I get a choice??” He told me he thinks it was because he prayed God would take him, but it wasn’t actually his time. He said he told Jesus he wanted to go back to live his life with his new wife and have children. So Jesus told him he could go back but that he wanted him to remember two very important things in life 1) Love others 2) Forgive others. He said said it really is that simple. Oh and he said there was absolutely no shame in Heaven. He said he used to worry about that all his life that he would feel so ashamed in Heaven, but it was not that way at all!! Don then explained that when he was back in the hospital and revived he had absolutely no fear! He said he didn’t remember things from his Jesus encounter until about three weeks later when one of his flight medic team members came to see him. She told him she wasn’t really allowed to visit former patients, but she had so many questions for him. She said, “You coded for about two minutes, but then you revived and sat up and told me exactly where to place your IV in your shoulder” (because nothing was working in his arm). She wanted to know how he knew that and if he was a medical student? She said he also ripped off his oxygen mask and told the team he didn’t need it and not to worry “the Man said I would be ok!” She wanted to know more about “this man” and his experience and that’s when he started to remember all these details. I asked how it changed his life and he said he definitely felt more grateful and connected to God and did so much research on his own experience and others to try to make sense of it all. He said he ended up teaching Sunday school for fifth grade and enjoyed that group so much he continued on with them until they graduated high school and has been to their weddings and graduations and some have even become ministers. He said he was so passionate about learning and growing and that he just really enjoyed making it all very real for the kids. Don said he never used to get much out of church until after his experience. He also said he shared his story with his church and people were wanting to publish his story. He said he even found an author, but it ended up not feeling like it was the right thing to do. I told him book or not what an AMAZING story and you have just blessed me with it and I can’t wait to share it with others. And just like that Amy his delayed flight was cancelled and he said goodbye and thanks for letting me tell my story and he left."
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