Journey to the Edge of Heaven

Meanwhile Maudie was sitting up in bed when I walked into the room with the bedside table in front of her and the newspaper laying on top of the table. I greeted Ms. Maudie as I came in the room, and with an impish grin on her face, she said, “Good morning Jan, I have been waiting for you, how is your day so far? Mine has been amazing.” I stood beside her bed looking at her with a little suspicion wondering what was up? Then finally curiosity got the best of me and I asked her to explain what made it so amazing. Maudie said, “Come closer I have to tell you something.” I leaned over the bed so I was right in next to Maudie, then she whispered, “I read the paper myself today!” I stepped back and looked at her as she sat there smiling at me. She challenged me, “Should I read some of the paper to you?” I was still unable to speak, I just shook my head yes as Maudie quietly began to read the headlines of the newspaper word for word and then continued down the page to other interesting topics. I looked at her with tears in my eyes and said, “Maudie it’s a miracle, have you told your daughter?” Maudie said, “Shhhh, no I was waiting for you to get here so you could tell her, she won’t believe me.” I laughed and said, “Just read the paper to her.” Maudie smiled and her eyes twinkled with only a twinkle God could have put there. I asked Maudie when she first noticed she could see. Maudie replied, “When I woke up this morning and looked around at everything in this room I thought I had died and went to heaven because that is when you are healed is in heaven. Then I realized I was still in my bed and this must be my daughters house. What do you think Jan?” Before I could answer we heard Barb coming from the kitchen, Maudie leaned back on the bed as if nothing had changed.

When Barb walked in the living room she asked how I thought Maudie was doing today. I told her I thought she was doing better than ever and that Maudie had something she wanted to tell Barb. Barb looked first at Maudie then back at me, Maudie slowly picked up the newspaper and began to read the headlines of the paper. Barb’s hand softly covered her mouth and tears rolled down her cheeks as Maudie continued to read aloud from the newspaper. When Maudie stopped reading, Barb asked, “Mother when did this happen? When did you get your eyesight back? Jan what does this mean?” Maudie smiled and with a tear replied, “When I woke up this morning I could see. I didn’t know what it meant so I kept quiet, I just studied your beautiful face at breakfast Barb so I will always have that etched in my memory if my sight should go as fast as it returned. I didn’t want to get your hopes up, I wanted to ask Jan what she thought first.” As tears ran down Barbs face she hugged Maudie tight as if it was their last hug. When they had finished, they were ready for an answer and I was praying for the Lord to speak through me as I always did, because I did not have an answer for this patient and family.

Ever since I started at hospice I have been assuring families that in Revelations, God promises that their loved ones will be healed once they get to heaven. However, on one occasions, I watched a stone-deaf patient, whom the family and I thought was sleeping very soundly, hear a tiny little ringing of a phone from several rooms away with the door closed. Suddenly out of nowhere, the patient with her eyes still closed protested loudly, “Is anyone going to answer that phone?” So, as Maudie and Barb laughed I explained my point here was that I thought when the patient was very close to the end of their journey our loving God starts healing the patient on this side of heaven. How else would she get her hearing back so keenly? This is only my thoughts from watching this happen a few times over the years. I wish God were hear for me to ask. Maudie replied I think that makes perfect sense to me, and we do serve a loving God that is for sure. Then with a look of seriousness Maudie asks, “Do you think I am that close to going home?” I had just completed Maudie’s assessment for this visit and replied, “Your vital signs are stable as usual, your skin is warm and pink. You are weak and your appetite is poor which is no change, but you know only God has the real answer to your question Ms. Maudie.” Maudie smiled, she was looking forward to going to heaven, she always said at 90 she deserved to get out of this old world and meet her loving Savior. So as I finished up today’s visit ,I gave them both a big hug and told them to enjoy the miracle from God today.