Well, colorcountry, you asked for it, so I will respond...though I had not intended to say anything about it, figuring those who read it could make up their minds for themselves without my comment.
But since you asked, I refer you to your post at number 3207 on this thread where you included me with a ping to a couple of your cohorts in response to my personal stuation, particularly regarding my health. (Sorry to all for the length in advance, but the entire experience is still too fresh and there is a lot of feeling associated with it)
You know, I feel very sorry for Jeff and what he has gone through. Many Mormons who experience this type of thing are overwhelmed by the necessity to DO MORE once they have escaped death.
My Mormon MIL died in April of this year. She was absolutley terrified of death, I mean honestly, I’ve been bedside when my Mormon father died, and my Mormon grandfather, and even though they were very frightened of the judgement that was to come, they were not terrified like MIL. Honestly she screamed and held my arm as we talked about her impending death - she KNEW she wasn’t good enough, she did not know the blessed assurance that Christians know when they face the final moment.
I don’t know where Jeff stands in his relationship to Christ - only Jeff and God have that knowledge, but isn’t it wonderful that today, this very hour, Jeff can fall to his knees before Christ and acknowledge that Christ has done the final work - it is finished, there is nothing left to do but fall lovingly into his arms.
Jeff, I’m here to testify to you that there are no movies to watch, or handshakes through the veil. ..no names you must remember. It is fine with Christ that you have not learned enough to create a world, you don’t have to die thinking that the test is still to come.
Do you honestly think that that post was some kind of compliment? That it could be viewed as any type of loving "out reacht?" Do you honestly want to say to everyone here that it was not meant as a rebuke/put down/snide commentary/etc.- you fill in the blank - on my person as you called your cohorts to the post to witness it?
Had it been a sincere, loving effort on your part, you would have contacted me privately and asked me about my situation and feelings before making such a sanctimonoius "call to repentance," and acceptance of Christ. But that's not what you did.
Bearing witness is one thing, getting personal about a person's very severe health crisis and disabilities as a tool to to leverage such actions is quite another.
Any reasonable person, reading that in answer to and with a knoweldge of my own condition will know exactly how it was meant...because the feelings of the Spirit will convey it to the heart of anyone who is sincere and aware of the prior discussion and history.
How do I know this?...because I the Spirit conveyed your meaning to me...just as, I believe, you intended, but also because of the many emails and FRemails I have received regarding that reprehensible post.
How dare you try and sit in judgement of what I felt or experienced in my near death experience. How unbelievably sanctimonious and unabashadly arrogant of you to indicate that I somehow was terrified of, or feared death because I somehow had not "done enough", and doing so by having the gall to equate it to the death of someone you know, your "Mormon MIL." And how judgemental, arrogant, debasing and disrespectful of you to leave such an account of that person here on a public forum.
Shame on you and may God have mercy on you and not return your judgement with the same measure you have judged. I would desire no person, not even an enemy, go through what I experienced and I pray sincerely that you do not have to learn such a lesson the hard way...I really do...because of such judgements and dispersions that you cast.
It certainly, IMHO, does not reflect the love of Christ...but that is not my judgement to make, just my opinion.
Have you suffered for months near death? Have you almost bled out on a table with your body pretty much dismembered around you while they sought to remove a particularly nasty and large tumour and preserve your nervous system while so doing for over 19 hours on one occassion and a total of almost 40 hours in all three ops? Have you spent literally weeks in an intensive care unit and then anohter month and a half after that not being able to move off of your side with nine drain tubes in you that had to be disconnected every couple of hours so they could roll you over and then hook you back up?
Have you had to go through months of very painful rehab in the hopes...the chance...that you might walk again, or recover some of the most basic boldily functions that you have?
Until you do, or until you have, please spare me the sanctimony and arrogance. And if you have had such experiences and can still speak this way to a person who has so suffered...me being preserved according to God's will, and your "MIL" passing on through what sounds like a painful death...then you are one of the most callous people I have ever run across.
I do not recite this as any kind of pity party for myself. Not in the least. I do not pity myself, I praise God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ for the opportunity to experience these things and His tender mercies through it that I might witness for His name. But it was what I experienced and what the Lord ordained that I go through in order that I might linger for His purpose...a big part of which was to witness for Him, as I do to you now, colorcountry.
But, again, until you do experience these things, or until you personally experience what your Mormon MIL experienced yourself...please, do not be so unabashadly arrogant to try and tellme what I felt, or what you think I feared during those experiences.
So, in answer to your queation, yes, your post was offensive in the extreme, and mainly because somehow you feel capable of sitting in such judgement of others..she (your) Mormon MIL knew she "wasn't good enough"...my God man, who are you to make that judgement as she lay there passing away in agony by your own account? do you think she was conveying rational feelings at that monmment? I held the hand of a dear borother of mine who passed in agaony after yeras long fight with lymphoma...I did not worry about His agonized and pain-killer inhibited comments at that time...just about loving him and holding him and trying to make sure he knew he was loved as he crossed over.
For your information, in my case, the prayers of faithful, sincere...and humble...Christians, including many of my own faith...and I do not give a whit that you do not consider me or they Christian...they prayed in Christ's name and exerted their faith on my behalf. And you know what?
In that hour, what you or others who are so willing to label others as "not Christians" thought or prognosticate about did not matter one iota...only what Christ himself thought mattered. And He answerwed and honored those prayers and expressions of faith, along with those of so many other Christians here on FR and elsewhere who sincerely prayed for us, and exercised their faith in Jesus Christ...and according to His will and He saved me for His purposes.
I did not fear death then, and I do not fear it now. I was wrapped in the loving arms of my Savior which carried me through and I know in whom I trust and can trust forever.
The day will come...perahps soon...when my number is called. And I will answer willingly, and humbly to His call. I know where I am going, and I will bow down at my Savior's feet and bathe them with my tears, and then rejoice in Him with my father, brother, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and my other loved ones who have gone on before and are awaiting the resurrection...with me also awaiting and looking forward to reuniting with my wife and children and granchildren as they cross over that "Jordan" in their time.
Sorry to all for the length, but as I said, you, colorcountry, asked for it.
No need to respond. If you are sincere about any apology, consider it accepted in advance with no hard feelings whatsoever.
(Note: Ping to a few others who were involved in the prayer threads and the events as they occurred)
