TO HEAVEN AND BACK

Frances, my friend and neighbor, didn’t know what was ahead that day, September 28, 2011, but God knew, and He prepared her with a dream.    In the Bible we read that God will sometimes tell us things before they happen.  “I tell you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you shall believe that I am the living God” (John 13:19).

The italicized words below are Frances’ account of what happened, written the day after the accident.

        When I woke in the morning, I remembered that I had a dream that Mike forgot some equipment.  In my dream, I travelled to deliver the equipment.  I saw an accident and was stopped in traffic.  So, when Mike was leaving, I asked if he had everything he needed and, yes, he thought he did. 

        Around 7:30AM Mike called to say he left two cases that he needed, and could I bring them.   I knew he needed the equipment, and remembered my dream, so I decided to just go and watch for an accident.  I met the worker, Walter, and gave him the two cases.  

        I started back and this is all I remember:  I was driving and no other cars were on the road.  Then I saw a small animal a distance ahead, in the middle of the road by the center line going to the left.  That is the last thing I remember. 

        Next, I was surrounded by a beautiful, soft, calm, warm, sparkling comfort all around me.  Then I suddenly had a bald man’s face in my face asking me my name, the date, and then he asked who was the President.  I said, “Unfortunately Obama,” and he laughed and I laughed.  I had no trouble answering, but who was this man? I was totally calm.  I prayed to Jesus for help, since I couldn’t figure out what was happening.  I asked what happened.  No one answered.  I heard someone say, “She is alive!”  Then I realized my car was all a mess and the window on my left side was gone and my arm was straight outside through the empty space.  My windshield was in a million pieces, and I couldn’t move.  I asked if my car exploded.  No one answered.  I had no fear.  My mouth was full of crunchy stuff.  Did I break my teeth?  No, it was glass. 

        The bald man said he was a sheriff deputy and said an ambulance was coming. I blacked out.  Then the paramedics were there.  I felt totally calm.  My neck was bent and resting on my right shoulder.  I couldn’t feel a thing.  I couldn’t figure out what happened to my car.  Did it explode?  I couldn’t move.  The EMT poked me with a needle all over and asked if I felt it, but I didn’t feel anything. I didn’t even feel the needle she put in my right arm.  It felt like I was watching it all as a TV show.  They said the steering wheel was broke, trapping me, and my knees were stuck under it.  Someone said it was going to get noisy and covered me with some heavy tarp.  The EMT said they had to cut the car to get me out. I heard someone say, “broken neck, fractured ribs and knees.”  They put a brace on my neck, and I screamed in pain when they straightened out my head, then no pain.  When they started to get me out, that is when the pain hit hard in my neck.  My neck hurt terribly, then no pain again.  They strapped me down on a stretcher.  Someone put an IV in my right arm.  They said I was going to be airlifted to either Flagstaff or Phoenix—did I prefer one.  I said Phoenix, since my middle son is a Phoenix firefighter/EMT.  I was kind of in and out of waking pain, yet sort of away from it all.  It was like I was watching a TV from outside of my body. 

        Somewhere during the flight, I was away from all the noise of the helicopter and surrounded by a wonderful, warm, soft light of a color I can’t describe.  I knew I was dying.  I knew if I stepped forward into the beautiful swirling color, I would be with God, but dead to this world.  I told Jesus if He wanted me, I was ready—but PLEASE SEND ME BACK HEALED, BECAUSE MY KIDS WEREN’T READY FOR THIS.  I don’t know why I prayed that.  Then I was suddenly in the helicopter again, all the noise came back and I was in pain.  They took me into the hospital, John C. Lincoln North.  My son was there.  I asked my son what he was doing there, and he said checking on me.  I asked if this was serious and he said yes. 

        The nurse took me to get a scan.  After a while the doctor came in and said he was going to check the scan again.  He came back and told me that, amazingly, I didn’t have a broken bone in my body—and I could go home!

        My husband, Mike, met us at my son, Chuck’s house.  I got painfully out of Chuck’s car and into the Tahoe for the hour and a half drive back home.  I was pretty sore, but since nothing was broken and I could think, I knew a miracle happened and I had been blessed! 

        The next day I got in to see my doctor, and he was surprised to see me.  He said that he read the report.  He said that I was given a second life, held my hands and said to use it well.  That was totally out of character for him to say.  I know a miracle happened, and I was left here to tell about it and let my family know how much I love them and whatever other reasons there might be for living!

        We went to the tow yard to see my car and take some photos.  The yard owner said, “Whoever was in that car was dead!”. He couldn’t believe I survived that mess.  He said the police said I must have swerved to avoid the animal I told them I saw, and hit the truck.  That doesn’t make sense to me, since I just remember seeing it travelling across the road as it was going past the center line into the oncoming traffic lane. That was the last thing I remember until the sparkling comfort just before I woke up with the officer’s face staring into mine.  I do remember that I had absolutely no fear when I came to.  What a wonderful feeling!  It was like I was watching it all as an interested bystander. 

        Mike and the yard owner went into the car to get my personal belongings, and I stood by Mike’s car and took photos with my phone.  Then Mike and the owner came over and said they found something very amazing.  In the middle of the dashboard, where everything was covered with broken glass, was a silver coin that had the quote, “For God So Loved The World That He Gave His Only Begotten Son, So Whomever Believeth In Him Shall Not Perish, But Have Everlasting Life, John 3:16,” and on the other side, “Jesus Is Lord!”  That amazed them, but it confirmed for me that I HAD been given a second life!  And I will use it well!  That coin was given to me three years ago, and when I found someone who I felt needed it, I couldn’t find it anywhere.  It wasn’t in my clothing or my purse, yet it showed up in the very place and time I needed to see it—and for Mike and the yard owner to see it first, to give them knowledge of a miracle! 

        I am still aching as I write this.  The worst is the separated ribs from the seat belt or broken steering wheel.  Next is where the seat belt left it’s extreme bruising, from my neck across my chest and abdomen and the ‘punch’ from the airbag. Both helped save me from dying! The wounds will eventually heal. I could have been a broken crippled mess.  What a great gift I have been given.  I will not waste it.  Don’t waste yours either.  Wear your seatbelts, watch out for the other guy!  Things happen in an instant!  I would never have thought that the accident I saw in my dream the night before, was going to be me! 

        My doctor got the full body scan they did in Phoenix.  He called me late yesterday.  He said everything was perfect, and even a problem before the accident, my arthritic neck from a former whiplash, was healed!  I was healed all over!  God is wonderful!  He did a miracle!          

What a great gift Frances was given!  The dream she had the night before the accident was God sending a message. He told her in advance that something was going to happen, so that when it happened, she would believe that He is the living God!  And she does! When she prayed, “JESUS, PLEASE SEND ME BACK HEALED,” God healed what medical people at the scene said was a broken neck, fractured ribs and knees—He also healed her arthritic neck, from a former whiplash!

God could have prevented the accident, but often He brings incredible good from what appears to be a tragic event.  Jesus death on the cross is an example of this.  His followers were shocked, heartbroken, and devastated!  Only later, after God resurrected Him, did they realize it was the greatest thing that ever happened!  Jesus paid for the sins of everyone in the world who believes God, and accepts Him as their Savior.

If you have never asked Jesus to come into your life to be your Savior, you can ask Him in right now.   He came into the world to pay for your sins, so you can know God personally.  God is holy, and cannot be around sin.  He loves you, and will draw near to you, once your sins are gone.  Christianity is a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe.  Simply believe God, that He sent a Savior for you, and receive all that He has for you!  Talk to Him right now, and say, “Dear Lord Jesus, I need a Savior!  Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord.  Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.  Take control of the throne of my life.  Make me the kind of person You want me to be.  Amen