http://joanwanderson.com/

Welcome to the story of the week! Check back often, as we will be 
putting a
new story up every weekend. Just a "hug from heaven" to bring comfort 
and
reassurance.  God is alive and well, and sending blessings to us!

Maureen Howell of Bloomingdale, Illinois, always believed in an 
afterlife,
and raised her children with the same faith. But when her son Chris 
faced
death, Maureen's belief wavered. How did she know, after all, that 
there was
a heaven, or that Chris would reach it safely?

          Chris, a hemophiliac, had had a childhood marked by 
hepatitis, a
liver transplant, severe relapses and only brief periods of good 
health.
Due in part to the prayers of those who loved him, Chris did manage to
graduate from high school and, despite a noticeable weight loss, went 
for
his college physical during the summer of 1988.  It was then his 
physician
discovered that Chris had contracted AIDS from a contaminated 
transfusion.

          Maureen's extended family is huge--hundreds of first and 
second
cousins on her mother's side alone.  Once again, everyone rallied 
around and
began to pray.  But Chris was exhausted from his battle with sickness 
and
pain.  "Tell everyone to stop praying for me, Mom," he told Maureen.  
"I'm
ready to die and go to heaven."

          Heaven.  It was one thing to read about it in a book, quite
another to have faith when one's heart was breaking.  Could Maureen 
believe?
What if she had been wrong all along, and there was no place of eternal
rest?  She blinked back tears.

          Chris seemed to read her mind.  "Don't worry, Mom.  When I 
get
there, I'll send you a sign that I'm happy with our Father."

          A sign.  Was such a thing possible?  Maureen wondered. But 
soon
Chris hemorrhaged and lost his speech, and on November 20, he died.  It 
was
a peaceful death, but was Chris in heaven?  Could he send her a sign?
Maureen had no idea what kind of sign to look for, or even if she 
should
hope for one.  She told only her immediate family of her strange pact 
with
her son--others would surely think her mad.

          A few weeks later, a distant cousin of Maureen's was running 
the
vacuum when her four-year-old son Ryan awakened from his nap and 
bounced
down the stairs.  "Mommy, Mommy, Chris was in my room!" he shouted.

          "Who?"  Surely Ryan didn't mean Chris Howell.  The two had 
never
met; in fact, the child didn't even know Chris had died.

          "It was Chris, Mommy."  Ryan was adamant.  "He played with 
me.
And he said he was very happy."

          "He did?"


          "Uh huh.  I asked him to come back and play with me again. 
But he
said he couldn't stay here anymore.  He had to go and be with his 
Father."

          Ryan's mother was getting goosebumps.  How could a 
preschooler be
so specific?  She called Maureen, and wept with her as both recognized 
the
exact message Chris had promised to send.

          Heavenly comfort isn't always brought by angels; sometimes 
our
loved ones can be messengers too.  Maureen Howell misses her son, but 
she
has no doubts now.  She will see him again.

This story was posted on 10/20/2001.  Be sure to check each week for a 
new
story.


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