Dad, John 11:25

     Today I was reading in John about the death and resurrection of Lazarus. In John 11:25 Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die." This started memories of my father's passing. My father had Alzheimer's for seven years, starting when he was 70.
       Alzheimer's is a terrible, long slow disease, and torture to watch someone you love go through. With Alzheimer's a persons body forgets. Most people think the person just forgets, but your whole body forgets how to work. Your brain isn't able to tell your leg muscles to move, so no walking, it can't tell your arm muscles to lift a cup or a spoon, so no eating. Your brain isn't able to tell your vocal chords to speak, so no communication. Eventually your throat doesn't even know how to swallow, so you are in danger of drowning.
     My father went from a vibrant, outdoors, "love life" type of man, to a man that wasn't physically able to do anything for himself. He hadn't been able to walk for a long time and hadn't recognized me for years. His passing was actually a relief, knowing that he would have a glorified body and more mental and physical capacity than he had ever had on Earth. Which is a lot, because he was a very intelligent man that had remembered every one's names that he ever met. He was one of those people that never met a stranger and always enjoyed new challenges to be conquered.
     We knew the time was close for him to depart and I was able to spend extra time with him. I spent as much time as possible and arranged with my manager to leave work at any call I received. Those days I would leave work and drive 40 miles to the hospital that he was in and sit(giving my mother a break to get a little rest, with the promise that I would call her if anything changed). I just sat with him all evening, listening to his breathing and to the heart machine, praying for one more heart beat.
     When we knew his passing was imminent there were several family members that were able to draw close to him. I stood on one side of his bed holding his right hand and my mother and sister were on the other side, my mother holding his left hand(much of our family lives out of town and weren't able to be there). My sons Camron and Luke were behind my mother and sister as we surrounded my father with love, concern and support. My father's breath was very rapid but then slowed, my mother and I spoke to him, telling him that we loved him, that he had fought a "good fight" but now it was time to stop, it was time to go. He gained clarity and looked at my mother with recognition, she told him she loved him and told him that I was there also. He turned his head towards me and looked at me also with recognition! Remember he hadn't recognized me for years.
     During this time I felt an opening at the foot of his bed, as if an upright portal had opened between this room into the spiritual realm. I could sense movement on the other side of the portal, I knew it was the portal to heaven and it was the angels waiting to greet him and welcome him!
     It is challenging to explain all of this because it is so out of our ordinary life that most people either won't believe or can't imagine. It was a very exciting time, it was like being present at a birth. I have been at the birth of one of my nephews, I was the first to hold him after the doctor and nurses. It was such a miracle to be there for the birth of a new baby coming into our world, but this was just as exciting, we were there at the birth of my father into the spiritual world! I am so thankful that I was able to be part of that experience!
     I know where my father is, I know I will see him there, I believe he will be one of those on the other side of the portal, waiting when I cross through. As soon as my father drew his last breath, my mother and I almost in unison, raised our free hands and started singing "we are standing on holy ground, and there are angels all around". That is what I remember of that day, my father moved to his spiritual body, but as Jesus said in the previous verse "everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die".