Angels

Posted by Kent & Collette Barr at 9:16 PM 1 comments
“My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.”13 On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.” Jeffrey R. Holland

I received a message the minute that I turned on my cell phone after landing in Philadelphia. I went to a Carpet Network annual meeting a little early, because I am on the Franchise Advisory Council, and we were having meeting prior to the owners’ meetings. Kent was going to follow me a day or two later.
The message was from Marian, asking for a return phone call. Dad had gotten some bad news that day from the Doctor. His bone marrow wasn’t producing any mature blood cells – not red or white blood cells, and no platelets. The doctor told him that he didn’t know how long it would take, but that he could have one more transfusion, and he should call his family. This really was going to be it. He had a day or a week – maybe. Dad asked to go to the Iceberg for a shake, (which ended up being his last meal).
I immediately placed a call to Marian for the details. I asked to talk to Dad. He didn’t have a lot of energy. He did say he was tired, and to make sure I told my family he loves them. Then he said, “Goodbye! Goodbye!”
I called home and told them if they wanted to speak to Grandpa, they needed to do it now. Bethany’s call was the last he was able to take.
He told my sister that he felt a little like he was jumping off a high dive for the first time. I have never before heard such a poignant description of what it must be like on the brink of death.
I got settled in the hotel and fitfully fell asleep to be woken up early in the morning by Carol. Dad had passed away. I cried, called Kent and told him what had happened. I tried to lay down for a little sleep, hah. I wasn’t able to get comfortable, and I felt utterly alone. To get comfortable in bed, I put pillows behind my shoulder blade, and to my horror, I realized that the pain I was feeling in my body was a complete recreation of the pain I felt for several days after I was hit by a car in 2004 while riding my bike. I had forgotten how much my shoulder ached after that…. It’s strange how powerful your brain is…. I laid there for several moments, dry-eyed and anxious. I had a meeting first thing in the morning that I couldn’t miss and I knew I needed to get some sleep – I had just flown over 2 time zones and I felt like I was going crazy. I said a little prayer for help.
Almost immediately, I felt warmth and pressure on the top of my head. It was a very familiar feeling -
When I had been sick or needed a blessing from my infancy to the year he died, I remember Dad resting his giant hands on my head to give me a blessing.
I held very still, and the feeling persisted for a couple of minutes. The pain left and I fell immediately asleep after.
I was very fragile the next day, and unable to leave Philladelphia because the flights were full. I found myself in the same bed the next night, anxious and unable to sleep again. Again I felt warmth and pressure on my head for a shorter period of time, and I was able to sleep.

I believe that someone was sent to comfort me.