In response to Upper Room’s invitation to share stories about proclaiming God’s love, Claudia Damian sent in these stories.
Being a senior citizen, I spend several hours a day with other seniors who have undergone organ transplants, stent implants, cardiac episodes, strokes, etc. I try to get to know everyone in the program for cardiac care and, while we all exercise, I talk to people about their medical histories, family, and general daily things.
Over the years, people have remarked how sensitive I am to peoples’ temporal and spiritual needs. People are not afraid of asking me about Catholicism and if I believe in an afterlife. My answer is: “I know there is an afterlife and a spiritual realm around us that would overwhelm our senses if we would experience it on a daily basis without faith in Jesus Christ.”
People often tell me they have fallen away from their churches because they experienced pain, chaos, disappointment and frustration. All the tools of the devil himself. We talk about the particular situations that have weakened or destroyed their faith and loyalty to God and church. I ask a lot of questions, listen carefully to their answers, and talk to them about rethinking their relationship with God.
So many people have gone through near death experiences, and the thought of dying and meeting their Maker frightened them enough to start asking questions of themselves and others about God. Some people have internalized their fears and very privately ask me those first few questions of what happens after death. Even Muslims, Hindi, Protestants, and agnostics have approached me out of the blue and asked about the reality of the spiritual realm around us.
Satan loves to confuse people. Steer them away from the Truth and the Life in Jesus Christ. Some people have jokingly said that if they went to Confession, it would take about two or three days to confess all of their sins. I tell them that the priest is patient and there is nothing that would shock him; they have heard it all over the years in the confessional. There is no sin so great that God would not forgive them unless they totally reject God’s mercy at the moment of death. Some say they will go to Confession later…some never do. So I pray for those who are still confused and lack confidence in God’s mercy.
People often say: I never thought of that word “eternity” before. That means forever, right? Forever. NO chance of changing your situation. Eternal punishment or eternal happiness. Which do you want?
Most people say they must think about it. I ask them to not only think about it but pray about it. God loves them and wants them to be happy and as healthy as possible no matter what they have experienced as a life-changing medical emergency. Death is not the end; it is a passage into eternal happiness or doom. Daily we have choices to make about our physical and spiritual worlds.
I have witnessed some beautiful spiritual things. I and others have seen them. We know there is a battle going on for our souls. Jesus is always ready to protect and cherish our souls daily and for all eternity. But we have to actively make that decision. Who will you choose to follow and spend eternity with?
