Visiting Hours From Heaven...

Several times in the last year I've seen posts of Facebook that say "I wish there were visiting hours in heaven."  I'm here to tell you that even though there aren't visiting hours in heaven, there are visiting hours from heaven.  Let me explain.

I believe God sometimes allows people to come to us from heaven - sometimes because we need it and other times just to make us smile.

Since my son died in 2002 I have met numerous people who have told me their loved one has visited them, either in times of crisis or uncertainty.  I believe them. It happened to me.  And it still does.

When Christopher died I suffered not only grief but tremendous guilt.  Because his mother and I were divorced and did not get along at all, I stayed away from Oklahoma, where he lived.  He would visit me several times a year (depending on where I was) but I only went to see him a few times because of my relationship with his mom.  I could have moved to Oklahoma.  There was an institution near the airport and another about 20 miles West of Oklahoma City where I could have transferred if I so desired.  But I let my pride and my anger at Christopher's mom keep me from doing that.  And I paid the price emotionally for my decision after he was gone.

One night, about eleven months after he died, he came to me in a dream.  Some will say it was simply a dream but I know better.  Christopher's dog, Chelsea, had to be put down just weeks after Christopher died.  When he didn't come home she stopped eating and began chewing on her feet to the point of making them bloody.  She got worse and worse until it became necessary to relieve her pain. Even the vet agreed.

In my dream it was Chelsea who came to me first.  I was at my dad's home in Ohio, in the front yard, and Chelsea came bounding up to me, tail wagging and happy.  I knelt down to hug her and she covered my face with kisses.  Tears fell from my eyes as I hugged this dog who I knew was in another world.  Suddenly Christopher was there as well.  He was kneeling in front of me and just looking at me.  Of course, my heart broke when I saw him.  The pain was physical - even in my dream.  He reached out and touched my face and said "Dad - you're silly."  I knew what he meant - I could read his thoughts.  He knew I was suffering from guilt and he didn't want me to do that anymore.  He didn't want me to hurt.

I woke from that dream with real tears streaming down my face.  The pain in my chest was real.  I missed my son terribly and it broke my heart to see him.  But he brought me a message about which I thought long and hard.

A few weeks later his mom and I talked on the phone.  We had mended our differences following his death - something that should have happened long before but that couldn't be changed.  She was upset because Christopher had come to see me but not her.  Just a few days later she called me and said Christopher had visited her in a dream and said to her "Tell Dad it's OK. Everything is OK."  We both believed it was another way of him telling me that he had forgiven me for my shortcomings as a dad and that he knew I loved him very much.  Those words from his mother truly helped me deal with the guilt and move on.

It wasn't too long after that when Christopher came to visit again.  This time we just had a pleasant visit.  No tears, no pain.  We talked and laughed and it was genuinely good to see him.  He has continued to do that throughout the last 11 years.  In fact - he came by just last week for a little while and we had a short conversation.

Sometimes he comes as the 17 year old he was the last time I saw him.  Other times he is younger.  But he's always the same Christopher I knew.

Crazy?  Maybe.  But I believe he comes to see me.  As I said - I have known other people who have been visited by dead loved ones.  They believe it too.

Christopher was a believer in Christ so he is in heaven.  Of that I have no doubt. And that means his life goes on.  So who's to say he can't come and see me once in a while?

There are no visiting hours in heaven.  You only get to heaven one way - your physical body has to die and you must believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  The Bible is very specific about that.  But I believe there are visiting hour from heaven.  I could be wrong but I don't think so.  After all - I have all the proof I need...!