It was one week prior to Dad’s passing. He had started a process of weaving in and out of deep sleep. One afternoon Dad called me with an urgent plea to come right away. He wanted Scotty there too.
He’d had a lot of anxiety, both from breathlessness as well as rapid decline and his transitioning process.
When I arrived, I sat by his bedside. He reached for my hand and held it tight. We talked awhile, though his voice was so low and mumbling that it was almost inaudible.
He told me he didn’t need any caretakers or meds, just me. He said that Scott and I calm him. Then he repeated it again. He asked us to stay the night. We agreed. Then he slept.
While he was in a deep sleep, I began praying. There was a pen and paper next to me, so I decided to write them out, as I often pray better on paper. The prayer mentioned a heavenly host that was with him, assisting him.
When he awoke, about 30 min later, I told him I’d been praying for him. I asked if he’d like to hear the prayer and he indicated he would. It was several pages on a note pad. It’s like the prayer had prayed itself. After hearing the prayer, dad commented that it was beautiful. He added that he hoped it was all true! Then he became quiet. Again, he slept.
Little did I know that what would happen next would turn out to be a holy event. And it seemed to be an extension of the prayer.
When he awoke, he was aware of a presence. It was a group of eight men, gathered. They were discussing something with him, and he was responding.
I felt that his group of eight was possibly a heavenly host, perhaps even his Council of Elders, which often shows up in past life regressions. If it was his Council of Elders, he was part of the group as I could feel the brotherhood, even his leadership with them. (My intuition tells me that he was the head of the Council).
He was very calm and deliberate. Then, he informed me of his plan. He turned to me and spoke very clearly and lucidly. He said he was going to pray. And following the prayer, it was my job to lead them in the Lord’s Prayer. I agreed.
Then he announced his plan to everyone present (though I was only aware of us two in the room, he was certainly aware of an additional 8 and us all having a higher purpose.) He announced, “I’m going to lead us in prayer. Then Shannon is going to end the prayer saying the Lord’s Prayer.” Prior to this, he had a couple weeks of terrible anxiety. But at this point, his anxieties had left him entirely. Now, he was in charge of something important, something he was fulfilling as his duty.
He projected his voice, using a louder voice, to reach everyone and as though the strong voice was to accentuate the importance of what he was going to say.
In his booming voice, he addressed God, “Our Heavenly Father and Most Wonderful God of my Heart, …” (There was a very soulful presence in his voice. It was loving, even holy.)
He proceeded to say that he has had great troubles (uttered with such tenderness) in the past weeks and had struggled with many things. And he humbly asked for help with these things, as he really needed divine help at this time.
It was a beautiful prayer, worded eloquently. I wish I could recall all of it. I felt like I was witnessing a holy man who had the solemn duty of leading other holy people in prayer. The prayer was in behalf of himself.
When he finished his prayer, he said, “We ask this in Your Name, Lord.” Then he turned to me and said, “Shannon.” It was my cue to recite the Lord’s Prayer, which I did. Then he said, “A-men.” It was done.
We were quiet after that and he rested awhile, then decided to move from the bed to his recliner. When he sat down in his recliner, he said enthusiastically, “I feel better than I’ve felt in two months!”
There was so much of Dad in all of this. His leadership, his dutifulness, his commitment to do the right thing, his honor to God, his thoroughness, positiveness, humility, brotherhood bonding, and even a good plan to follow. At times his voice became very tender with feeling as he spoke of his hard times as he addressed the God of his Heart. It touched me deeply.
I felt privileged to have been part of this extraordinary event and dad’s soul in action. He is a love-Sentinel always standing guard to protect and take care and take charge, overseeing. So honorable!
So much was revealed which was helpful to me from this experience. And, it showed me another step in the process of a transition and what is involved as well as his ability to meet his spiritual need triumphantly.
