A God of Visions - A God of Details . . . (and a really cool story)

On the second anniversary of our son’s death, my friend Ronna came by to see us. She shared with me a vision she had of John. It went like this:

"I saw the best picture of John. He had a glorious twinkle in his eyes, and he leaned in and said 'Mom, I’m doing so great!' The peace on his face and in his voice are indescribable."

As she relayed this vision of John to me, her eyes welled up with tears, but the joy she exuded was palpable. She told me she could still see his face so clearly and she just couldn’t describe it fully – the joy. 

This is not the first vision to come from Ronna and her husband David.  I also wrote about David's word regarding our little Davey Sue coming into the world, and he also saw our son being greeted in Heaven by a family friend who lost his life in a private plane crash.

At the same time, I received a Facebook message from Allison. She felt led to contact me about a company from South Dakota called Rebekah Scott Designs, click here for the website:  Rebekah Scott Designs.

Allison loves these bags. The company makes beautiful handmade purses and accessories. The owner posted a video on her page at Rebekah Scott Designs on Facebook, describing the new Honor Line, it's dated November 3rd if you want to scroll down and watch it. Be prepared to cry.  In essence, you can have a bag made from a loved one's military clothing or a bag lined with a button-up shirt - it's such a cool idea.

Rebekah lost a brother to suicide, and this line is near and dear to her heart.  Part of the proceeds will go to an organization that works with Veterans and Equine Therapy, and they are having amazing results. Check them out here: Don't Tread On Me 22/0. There is a podcast on her page as well where she talks to Chris, the founder of DTOM22/0. Twenty-two veterans a day lose their lives to suicide in this country.  

Photo taken from Rebekah Scott Designs with permission.

Friends, Allison didn’t know it was the 2nd anniversary of John’s death when she contacted me on Monday. But God did.  She had no way of knowing just how much her kindness would mean. 

She said:

“It is truly such a privilege that you are letting me order this and I stand in awe of God and the way that he speaks to us. I believe with all my heart that God was prompting me all morning to send a message to you . . . He loves you so much."

She also couldn’t have known that I had seen something similar on TV one night, except the bags were made from Fireman's gear. It was my heart’s desire to do this with John's ACU top, I just couldn’t find the wherewithal to make it happen. 

If you follow my blog, you’ll know that I have a very hard time letting go of any of John’s military gear. And this ACU top, it’s the only one I could find in multi-cam. It's the one that smells like body odor.  Yes, I smelled my way through his things, trying to find him.  And wouldn't you know, it was this shirt, the one that means the world to me, that's being made into a bag, complete with his patches and name tag.  A bag I can carry with me, just like I carry him with me.

John, as we all know, had a lot of stuff. He knew he was being discharged soon, and yet he made the switch from digicam to multi-cam, because that was John. He wanted the latest and the greatest, and he wanted several. Maybe he just didn't like doing laundry? 

I couldn’t figure out why he had so many pairs of pants in multi-cam and only one top – so I asked Gil. (Pictured to the left of John). He said John gave him one before he left Alaska. (That is so like him).  I wonder if he gave away others? Maybe he only had two, but I think it's highly unlikely.  After all, this is John . . . the guy with twelve pairs of Army boots. He had a ton of digicam fatigues,  but they were not his favorite. So here he is, in his new digs, while his friends wisely saved their money and stuck with the digicam.

John wearing multi-cam, introducing us to his friends, who are clearly still wearing the digicam!  This is the shirt the bag will be made from.

What a gift. That God would speak to Allison’s heart on my behalf and make this dream come to fruition.  The kindness and the detail of it brings me to tears.  God is in the details.

This is why I have such a hard time when I hear bereaved parents say “Why did God take my child?” Friend, God loves your child and you, more than you could ever possibly imagine. He is a father that gives good gifts to his children – but we forget that we have free will. That we live in a world that is broken by sin. That this world is not our home, and it is far from perfect. 

We forget that there are consequences to our decisions. And yet, here is God showing up to let me know that my son is doing great, and to see to the details of that one remaining multi-cam ACU top with the stinky armpits. 

That is not a God who does not see you my friend. That is a God who loves you beyond comprehension. Will you honor Him by trusting Him? By believing that He sent his son to die for you?  That while you might live the rest of your days on planet earth with a broken heart, it will indeed be mended by the one who knit you together in your mother's womb?  You just need to have hope.  You need to hold on until that glorious day arrives where we have all reunited once again.  

But there is more. 

A third friend contacted me. Lynne also had a vision that she shared with me. Here is what she said:

“As I was waking up this morning, that moment between being asleep and not quite awake, God gave me a vision.  I saw John sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of Papa God. God seemed to be seated on a comfy chair, something like you’d have in your living room. I couldn’t hear anything but could see they were very comfortable with each other. Like friends chatting and laughing about the day. They had expressions of joy, more joy then you would see in this world. I couldn’t see colors or details, but it was very bright and very clear. They loved each other. Hard to even describe it. When I was fully awake, I cried. I’m crying now as I type this. John is dearly loved by Papa God."

I am blown away that the Creator of the Universe would take time to organize two visions and a handmade bag out of an ACU top. Absolutely blown away.  

I won’t tell you it’s easy to wait for the day when I see him again. But these visions confirm once again that John is living his best life, filled with joy and in relationship with his Heavenly Father. He is laughing and telling stories with the lover of his soul. He is experiencing now what is waiting for those of us who believe. 

After sharing with Kaitlin and Morgan what Ronna said, Morgan asked if Ronna had mentioned what John was doing in Heaven.  And a few hours later, she got her answer through Lynne's vision. John is sitting at the feet of his Heavenly Father, telling stories and experiencing all the wonder and joy that Heaven is.  A second vision to answer the question.  God is in the details.

God loves each and every one of you – please don’t ever forget that. 

Many of you showed up last weekend in one way or another, and you blessed us. You are all a part of this story. You are all a part of our journey.  You will never fully know the depth of our gratitude or the way your kindness spoke to our hearts. We are forever grateful. 

I'm also going to drop a shameless plug right now.  If you are looking for a life coach, my friend, Brenda Deegan, is the bomb. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know.  For two years she has steadfastly walked beside us - and it isn't always easy.  She's been a lifeline in the storm, and she's recently started a new business, and she will be amazing at it. ❤️

Thank you all for your kindness.