I will admit to having an after-death visit from my maternal Grandma, Anita. We were very close - she raised me from birth while Mom & Dad both worked until I started Kindergarten. And of course then I saw her every day after school and we spent a LOT of time as a family with her.
She died when she was only 72; I was in my mid-30’s at that time. As a kid, when I was sleeping, she’d always shake my foot to wake me up.
A few weeks after she passed and the dust had settled, one night while sleeping I felt that familiar foot shake and I woke up. She was standing at the end of my bed in her usual house dress and apron and she looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Everything is going to be just fine!’ And then she vanished.
It was comforting, more than scary. And it WOULD be just like her to make sure I was OK without her. ;)
Was it grief? Could be. Did it really happen? It sure seemed real to me. Was it love? Absolutely!
That's all that really matters. An awesome story.
Think of it this way...if the Lord wanted to comfort you and appeared to you in His image...would you believe it and be comforted?
Or would He appear to you in a way...with an image...that would comfort you and touch your heart?
In your heart, I know you believe. And He gave you a gift for your faith. Praise Jesus.
This sounds very like the many experiences you hear related on the two podcasts I linked. Not like a spooky ghost experience at all and different than a dream—which all of us have experienced and can tell the difference. I think God gave you the special blessing of seeing your grandma one more time to comfort you.