Life Stories

Forget Me Not

It was a hot summer day the kind where you could lay some crayons on a blank canvas and watch the sun melt them as it creates a work of art. Window is cracked as I cruised down that ole highway as the hot air drifted in and clashed with the air conditioner I placed on high. I needed fresh air, you know sometimes you not only desire freshness but you need it. Looking at the clock and seeing 4:44 then glancing back toward …

Suddenly I felt soft grass beneath my feet and then my vision became clear. Lost for words I struggle to understand what is happening, questions pilot though my mind like a fighter pilot after a enemy target. My mind tries to grasp the reality of the moment already knowing in this place reality is unknown, but desired. Then I walk the grassy rolling hills for what seems like hours, my eyes behold flowers of colors our earthly eyes cannot see. Then I see her, a little girl her form atop a close hill, her dress blowing in the breeze, she stands there holding a flower. I walk towards her but as I continue to walk she stays the same distance away from me. I cannot bridge this distance between us, but her voice, I hear her voice! Her voice is getting louder although we are still the same distance apart, it sounds like a sweet whisper carried to me on the breeze of yesterday.

As she holds the flower, she begins to pull the petals off and the words strike into my heart like an archer’s arrow for a target. “Mommy love’s me. Mommy love’s me not. Daddy love’s me. Daddy love’s me not. Abortion kills. Adoption lives. Mommy love’s me. Mommy love’s me not.” . The forget me nots the flowers in this child's hands awaken a distant love, a voice from days long gone but yet to be. Pierced to the center of my existence I struggle to hold back the tears, a father’s love dwells in my eyes. Tears of a day long gone and yet tears of a day yet to come. I shout to the skies “Where am I? Where am I?”, feeling trapped in a memory of place where time does not exist. I begin to run to the little girl but the faster I run, the harder I run, I still cannot reach her, dropping to my knee’s in prayer, I take a slow deep breath. Filling my lungs with the breath of life and wiping the tears from my eyes, I arise to my feet and continue on. Beautiful skies of lavender filled with beautiful clouds of light fill my vision as I wander these lands of Eternity.

Laughter, do I hear laughter? Yes, little children laughing and playing, I begin to hurry in their direction. But I am no longer moving, the hills they pass under my feet as the laughter grows closer. Blinking my eyes as I try to grasp the moment and write it upon the tablet of my heart, recording every moment like it was my last. Feeling peace and tranquility in waves as it pulses though my body, and it washes away all doubt, apathy and hopelessness from my being. The voice’s grow louder, how far away?, I ask myself. The rolling hills still in motion under my feet as my heart begins to fill with excitement. Once again I take a slow deep breath of life, filling my lungs and knowing my purpose, desires and destiny. I welcome what is to come! Closing my eyes, I offer a whispered “Thank you Jesus!”, and release the breath.

Opening my eyes, I see the form of a young woman embraced by a circle of children on a hill that is slowing as it approaches. Suddenly I am still or this place is still, then I understand I am at one with this place. I am now a part of this place, I belong here in this place I call Eternity. Walking towards her, I know I am to capture and record every detail like a news reporter.

She rises and approaches, her name is Annabelle! How do I know this, I know not, but her name is Annabelle and she is 17. Knowledge of knowledge where do you come from, I beg to know. Her dress is pure light, her complexion a color as that of the purest water. Upon her dress is a gold name tag, it reads PRINCESS and my eyes recall a past memory of another divine appointment. The children all dressed in light also wear name tags, my mouth begins to speak as she speaks into me without moving her mouth. Am I hearing her thoughts? She is hearing mine.

“Welcome I am Annabelle”, enters my being. “I do not know how but I already know that and you are 17, right?” I reply with my voice. Scared or unwilling to try to communicate as she does, my voice trembles. “Be not afraid, you are welcome here”, once again the voice enters me. “Where am I? Who are you? How did I get here? What are you?”, tripping over words grasping the unknown I await answers. “I summoned you here, I have three messages for you”, she speaks into my spirit. Speechless and desiring the answers they come, “ I forgive you, I love you and I am proud of you”. A parental connection of a love and hope of a wonderful tomorrow, flows from Annabelle into my being. As she steps forward and places her finger on my lips and says with speech from her lips, “I love you!”. Closing my eyes unable grasp the parental feeling, I cry.

Then, startled by the sounds of the road, the window cracked and the summer air whistling into my truck. I glance down at the clock, it reads 4:44 and I felt like I had been gone for many hours. For I had been on a divine appointment with an angel in a place where time does not exist and her name is Annabelle.

Though prayer and soul searching, the Lord gave me a word DNC and I remembered many years ago when my former wife and I had conceived a child but it was forming in her tubes. The doctor recommended because of our age and social class that it was possible to move the fetus to the womb, but it would be very costly and not a guaranteed procedure. He recommended a DNC and we accepted his authority and recommendation, after all like he said we had three healthy boys. This event took place 17 years ago and her name is Annabelle!

In Hebrew Anna means "GRACE" and belle means "BEAUTIFUL"! Amen

Remember this, only God has the final authority over life, and you're not God. Amen

The End is only the Beginning!

By: Eddie DeHart