On a quiet street, near Wilson Junior High School I met 67 year old Sheila Bradbury for the first time. We had talked on the phone after her daughter provided the initial introduction. I felt apprehensivewhen I spoke with Mrs. Bradbury, not because I did not believe her story but because I immediately sensed that she and I viewed a number of things differently. I would refer to myself as spiritual. I would refer to her as religious. We both believe in Christ, but since our learning experiences and life experiences differ, we use different words to describe things.

As I drove to Sheila’s home to meet her in person for the first time, I prayed that we would feel the presence of the spirit and I prayed that I would say nothing to offend. Little did I know that she too had felt the need to send up prayers for us. I was still feeling very new to taking interviews and I had not learned yet that it is likely we would both cry and that we would feel very close by the time the interview was done. I arrived at Sheila Bradbury’s home, a stranger with a tape recorder and expectations to hear her tell me about the death of her husband and the subsequent sensitive events that took place following his death. Here is that story.

Sheila and Carl met in 1945 and were married in 1947. They raised a lovely family of three daughters and a son.

“Carl was handsome,” says Sheila. He was a hard worker. “He was a unique, wonderful individual, and he was a very private person.”

When he was in his sixties, Carl Bradbury was diagnosed with cancer. His family had been concerned when he became ill. They were worried about Carl and his acceptance of Christ. Because he was such a private person, he did not wish to discuss his feelings about religion.

“Carl believed there had to be a God but that was as far he would go.” He used to drive his family to church and he would pick them up after.

When Carl became ill, Sheila packed a Bible in with his personal belongings and Carl began reading it. Later he listened as Sheila read to him from the Bible. Sheila feels that the “Lord was preparing Carl, daily.” Sheila prayed regularly that Carl would not die until he had accepted Christ.

Two people from a prayer group that Sheila belonged to felt that they were “called” to help Carl take that final step to acceptance. They traveled to the hospital and approached Carl. They were gentle, direct and thoughtful in their approach as they asked Carl if he was ready to accept the Lord.

Carl said, “I’m ready.”

They moved Carl by wheelchair into the chapel, where he was baptized, and where he said again, “Yes of course I do. Of course I accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I have all along. What’s wrong with me that I couldn’t say it?” That day, every individual that came into Carl’s room heard from his lips that he had accepted Christ.

The family moved Carl to a hospital in Lethbridge shortly after this. He died within days of this move. His daughter, Maureen and his wife were with him during the final moments of his life. Sheila worried after Carl died. She kept saying to herself, ‘was he really saved?’ A few days after the funeral she had a comforting and beautiful vision. Sheila describes that vision:

“It was a most beautiful technicolor vision. It was my husband and he had this jacket, this black jacket with a red stripe which I didn’t like, and he wore it everywhere. The company gave it to him.” In her vision Sheila, saw a healthier, younger Carl wearing the jacket that she remembered well. He looked so well.

“He was 35 years old and he had blond curly, curly hair and the bluest blue eyes. And he was walking through this field of grass, green, green grass. And the sky was so blue and there was this river. And it was so peaceful. And he didn’t say one word but he was looking at me. He plucked a wheat and he put it in his teeth. This he did all the time. When we went on hikes or he went for a walk, he’d take a thing (a blade of grass or wheat) and he just sort of had it in his teeth. And it was just like him. I woke up expecting to see him.”

Two days later Sheila was watching 100 Huntley Street, (a Christian television program), and there was a woman speaking about a vision she had involving a loved one. What struck Sheila about the vision the woman had was the parallel between her own vision and this one.

The television guest said that “the Lord gave me a vision.” And she went on to say these words, “He [her loved one] was walking through this field of green green grass with a blue blue sky and a river.” This woman continued, “there were no words exchanged but the Lord let me know that he was well and, yes, he was saved.” Sheila felt this was no coincidence. She sensed this was another message, a confirmation that Carl was fine and with God. A third event and another vision transpired which was even stronger confirmation that Carl was with his Heavenly Father.

Margaret, Sheila’s daughter, lives in a town approximately three hours north of Lethbridge. She spoke to her mother after she heard of the vision: “Mother, I had the same vision, exactly.” Margaret saw the same jacket on her father and described the colors the same way that her mother had. Sheila felt it was necessary to know the time that Margaret had her vision. The two were to discover that both visions had taken place at the same time. The vision was seen by two people at the same time although they were 300 kilometers (180 miles) apart.

“The Lord planned it so that I would know for sure” were the words that Sheila used to sum up the three events. Sheila referred to herself as a doubting Thomas “because I had to have more proof, more proof .” She was convinced her husband was well, “He was fine and he was young. He looked so well and so great.”

Story as told to Ellie Braun-Haley shaley@telusplanet.net

This true story is an excerpt from the book, A Little Door, A Little Light and it is reprinted here with permission. You may share this story in your newsletter as long as you keep it complete and link it with http://www.evrcanada.com Please note: the heading “Eagle Creek Publishers” at evr Canada… this is where you will locate the book A Little Door, A Little Light. A Little Door, a Little Light is a book written to help ease the pain and provide seeds of hope for those who have lived through the death of a loved one. A Little Door, A Little Light : this book is available Available at http://www.eaglecreek.org/doorpdf.html also available at evrcanada.com also available at http://alittledoor.inframind.net/ellie-braun-haley.html