APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — Four-year-old Jeremy Werdt says he went to heaven during emergency spleen surgery, and his testimony of seeing Jesus and deceased relatives thrilled his Christian family and landed him a book contract.
Posted on 09/10/2012 1:50:39 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — Four-year-old Jeremy Werdt says he went to heaven during emergency spleen surgery, and his testimony of seeing Jesus and deceased relatives thrilled his Christian family and landed him a book contract.
Then Jeremy revealed to his family that Wanda Spencer, his maternal grandmother, was not in heaven after all.
“To have Jeremy back and talking about this amazing experience of being with the Lord was the most wonderful day of our lives,” says his mother, Brenda. “He named all the relatives he’d seen and we just sat there crying. Then, after a while, we realized he hadn’t said anything about my mom, Grandma Spencer.”
When Brenda asked about her, Jeremy shook his head and said, “She ain’t there,” then rolled over and went back to sleep.
“Our smiles froze in place,” says Brenda. “All the comfort I’ve had since her death vanished.”
Distressed, the family gathered in Jeremy’s recovery room two days later to gently quiz him again about who he had seen. He was able to repeatedly name and describe every deceased relative he had spent time with in heaven, even ones he hadn’t met during his life on earth.
But when it came to Grandma Spencer, the boy was firm.
“Every time we asked he just shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Nope. Not there,’” says Brenda. “We suggested maybe he didn’t recognize her because she looked younger in heaven. He smiled and said, ‘Mom, you recognize everyone in heaven. Grandma wasn’t around.’”
The revelation has divided the family. Some doubt Jeremy had an out-of-body experience at all. Others suggest that during Jeremy’s visit to heaven, Grandma Spencer was elsewhere on God’s business.
But “what kind of grandmother wouldn’t stop by to visit her grandson to encourage him before he returns to earth?” asks one of Jeremy’s uncles. “That just doesn’t sound like Mom.”
Other relatives have started to speculate about Grandma Spencer’s actual beliefs. They describe a quiet, mischievous woman with a stubborn streak, very much the opposite of Grandpa Spencer who was outspoken about his faith. Many are wondering if Grandma Spencer ever made a solid declaration of faith.
“She was always coy about it and kept her beliefs to herself,” says Brenda’s sister Beatrice. “She would sit there with a knowing smile when we talked religion. I always thought it was a sign of her wisdom and humility. Now I’m racking my brain to remember if she ever claimed Christ or not. I want anything to hold onto.”
In the weeks since the experience, some say they can’t look at old photographs of Grandma Spencer without a fresh sense of grief and even anger at her. Some say they wish Jeremy hadn’t been granted a heavenly visit at all.
“As wonderful as it was for him, the rest of us are going out of our minds,” says Beatrice. “I wish someone could go back to heaven and find out for sure.”•
Anyone who’s ever seen Jesus and visited heaven knows the truth about this little boys experience.
First of all, was the child close to death? If this was just a regular surgery (I know it says emergency but plenty of emergency surgeries aren’t life and death), this could have been from anesthetic or even a dream. If it was a real near death experience, then there is some kind of message about grandma, but I wouldn’t presume she was evil and went to hell. I wouldn’t know what to think. The afterlife is probably pretty complicated.
Does that mean the stories are FALSE -— or are they TRUE stories that someone thinks are funny???
Did Grandma vote for Bambi, perhaps?
Votes have consequences, you know. Just look what our country looks like after only three years.
But it isn’t the message of the parable of the rich man. Please re-read Luke 16, vss 19 - 31. For you to say it “should be the message” is to miss the true point of the parable.
Also consider this from St Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Even Jesus said, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine (meaning God His Father) be done.”
Heh. That’s so wrong.
More likely she voted for Obama after she died.
“this could have been from anesthetic or even a dream.”
But the “story”,,, if true, relates that;
“He was able to repeatedly name and describe every deceased relative he had spent time with in heaven, even ones he hadn’t met during his life on earth.”
Might have been on the shuffleboard court. Or catching the early bird special at Scott’s (They give you a tenderloin, a salad and a baked potato, for four-ninety-five. You know what that cost you after six?).
I know an atheist whose daughter survived a bad car wreck. He said “Man, it was a miracle that she survived.”
I think dogs deserve it far more then a lot of humans.
I think this is the religious version of the Onion. Don’t think they are true.
Here is a link to a book I read years ago titled ‘Dying Testimonies of the Saved and Unsaved” at http://www.amazon.com/The-dying-testimonies-saved-unsaved/dp/B00085VSXK
Maybe Grandma Spencer was at the BINGO HALL!! Unless Grandma Spencer was a mean SOB...
To all posting:
Hebrews 9:27
King James Version (KJV)
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
This is a serious subject. . .I’m rather surprised with the posts. http://patburt.com/
you might want to check, ol’ grandma is probably still voting for Obama..
you might want to check, ol’ grandma is probably still voting for Obama..
Matthew 7: 21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
No doubt everyone who goes to heaven will be surprised at who is not there, and who is.
Saying a prayer is not enough, going to church is not enough, saying “I believe in Jesus is not enough.” It is believing and doing the will of the Father. Living a regenerate life.
The family was given a blessing...a warning.
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