My Testimony Given At My Dad's Funeral

I had a spiritual experience that will hopefully affect my life for these remaining days on earth. Friday night I got an invitation from my Daddy, I can come be with my Daddy if I want to. He wanted to take me away from this old ugly earth and I got a glimpse into heaven through a crack in those pearly gates. (Don’t worry about the crack. My daddy will fix it. He's a carpenter.) It was filled with an indescribable praise and presence & the most heavenly strains of music there could be, praising God. He still doesn’t want his little girl to suffer & die. I can leave all pain and suffering on this earth, but I begged him to let me stay, that I’d always be his little girl. He taught me to fight and not quit. He gave me permission to stay here longer and finish things on earth, truly love my husband, renew my relationship with my beautiful daughter, my son and his fiancé, learn to accept and love Camden, enjoy being a Mimi to Amelia, simplify my lifestyle, be the director of AIS, love God more and connect with friends and family.
As most of you know I had a brain tumor removed on December 10th, two days prior to my Daddy's passing. I reached out to the Meningioma Mommas support group Monday night as I tried to figure out what I should do or not do as far as using my brain. Post op on steroids and a number of other medications keep the mind racing and particularly mine. The doctors can’t describe it, but my Daddy told me that when the staples in my head hurt, that it is time to relax and slow down. He told me that each staple represents the difficult & painful areas of my life thus far and since I’m not going to heaven yet, my daddy gave be permission to let go of the perfectionist, meticulous, goal oriented traits I had received from him, so my life here on earth can be more spirit filled, giving, and loving, so that I can renew relationships with friends and family in a new way.
This was my wakeup call.
How Great Thou Art
Oh how my daddy loved the singing of George Beverly Shea. Personally, I prefer the Sandy Patti version, which I always intended to record for him. If I did it now the staples would surely pop out and I’d be there in heaven. I’ll do it in the future. I’m sure he can still hear it.
Proud Father
My father was proud of our accomplishments, successful academics, my perfectionist mode and he was proud of our Christian faith. He taught me how to be successful in the traditional sense of the word, in education, in the world of work and that if any task is worth doing, it should be done perfectly or not at all.
He and my mother were married for 8 years before they adopted Kenneth at 6 weeks old, then 4 years later I came along as a surprise. Once again he had to patiently wait, even though he was not a patient man, to become a Pappa, so perfectly accepting Jonathan as a 6 month old from Korea and 2 years later Melody at 33 months old from Thailand both through adoption.
At least I didn’t pass on infertility to my kids, and he was able to end his life as Great Pappa to Melody’s daughter Amelia. Nothing made him light up more as he was sick and confused most of her two years, but their expressions to each other were heavenly. The beautiful gift we have been given this Christmas is that even though Great Pappa has already gone to heaven, we can enjoy this beautiful talking, interactive angel. It will all be recorded as usual on Christmas morning, now digitally not on the 16mm film my Dad used.
I had no idea what to expect in the death of a parent & know I wouldn’t have taken the reflective time to do so if I had not had brain surgery 2 days prior to his passing. I believe God is using my Dad’s talents up in heaven to watch over us even today. Camden reported that he had a dream on Friday night, the same night I got my invitation to heaven, and that my Dad gave him a talking to and that I was slightly there seeing him follow through to help us. Dad always wanted to protect his daughter & granddaughter from the pain & suffering he had experienced as he suffered physically his earthly pain.
This has been the most spiritual experience of my life as a journey to and through the death and passing of my earthly father. Several times Friday night I was on the edge of leaving this place. It was soooooo tempting to be done with suffering & sorrow.
I rest in the peaceful assurance that my Daddy is in the arms of our loving heavenly Father in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be Still & Know That I am God
Daddy, your Pillow is straight now, and you are no longer crooked in your chair or your bed. The Great Physician has healed you and is healing your daughter. Thank you Daddy for bringing me back to the Lord. Amen.