Lisa's Deceased Sister Reaches out to Her

An example of a mystical experience

“It’s the burning bush encounter with God that vitalizes, animates, excites, and sustains our faith. True, these experiences may be fleeting and elusive, isolated and unpredictable – like thunderclaps in a long, dark night – but they form the bedrock of Christian life… These ‘strange sights’ are not flights of fantasy or wishful thinking. They are the most reality-filled moments of our lives, the truest things we have ever experienced.” – Richard Beck, p. 9, Hunting Magic Eels.

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Our churches are filled with people who’ve had Spiritually Transformative Experiences. They need affirmation of these experiences, and support in integrating them into their life with God.

Once when I was sharing my interest in mystical experiences, the parish Administrative Assistant, Lisa, told me the most remarkable story. Lisa’s sister Linda was nine years older than she, and was a surrogate mother to Lisa growing up, as their own mother was often in and out of the hospital. Lisa and Linda were each other’s best friends and very close. Linda never married and so as an adult became an unofficial member of Lisa’s family, all of them popping in and out of each other’s homes. All of Lisa’s family adored Linda.

One day, Linda was not feeling well. She had been a beloved first grade teacher for 40 years, looking ahead to retirement later that year, but because of her illness she stayed home from school that day. The next day she was feeling even worse. Lisa was concerned and told Linda she needed to see a doctor. Linda insisted it wasn’t that bad and that she would wait yet another day. Lisa visited in the early evening and after seeing Linda, again insisted that Linda go to the hospital. There was a lot of back and forth. Linda didn’t want to be poked and prodded so didn’t go. Still later in the evening, Lisa called her on the phone and again urged Linda to go to the hospital. Linda was crying and insisted on waiting until the following day. Lisa was unhappy, but finally relented telling Linda to call her if anything got worse. Lisa said to her, “If something happens to you, I’ll never forgive you.” Linda said, “Nothing is going to happen. I’ll be fine.” Those were their last words to each other.

The next morning Lisa was devastated to learn that Linda had died overnight. She was in profound grief and shock. The family spent the day trying to process the death, and by that evening, after everyone had gone to bed, Lisa still couldn’t sleep. She was sitting up on her couch, with a clear view of the front door. Lisa was thinking about and planning things, making lists for everything that needed to be done in the days ahead. Everyone else was asleep. All of a sudden, the front door opened and her uncle walked through, an uncle who had been dead for twenty years. Right behind him was Linda coming through the door, like she usually did. It felt normal. Lisa first reaction was joy. “Oh my God, I was dreaming! She’s alive!” Lisa’s next thought was, “What’s Brad doing here?” remembering that her uncle Brad was dead. Brad walked right up to Lisa and said, “She asked me to bring her to you.” And then Linda also walked up to Lisa and began sobbing uncontrollably, with her face in her hands. Linda never said a word, but Lisa had a sense that Linda was communicating, “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Forgive me.” In return, Lisa communicated nonverbally that she too was heartbroken, but that she of course forgives her. Then Lisa realized “Oh, it really is true. She really is gone.” As soon as she realized that Linda really was dead, Lisa’s brain engaged, she immediately came to, and Brad and Linda disappeared. She came out of the vision. Lisa was still sitting up and awake on her couch.

It wasn’t a dream. They were there and real. Lisa could feel them. Their energy was there. It was a real encounter. Lisa had been feeling tremendous guilt over her words, “I’ll never forgive you,” and this encounter brought closure. It allowed Lisa to communicate to Linda, “Of course I forgive you. I love you.” It was almost as if Linda were saying “I know you didn’t mean that, and I’m sorry for what my death did to you.” The encounter was healing because it put things right between them. It took away the guilt of Lisa’s last words with Linda. Lisa felt it was a gift from Linda. It made Lisa know that Linda was still there for her family, watching over them.

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Every year on the anniversary of Linda’s death, Lisa takes a walk on a beach in Maine, remembering and talking to Linda. On the five-year anniversary, Lisa was again walking along the beach, and said to Linda in her mind, “If you really want me to know that you are watching over us, show me a sign.” Immediately, Lisa found some pretty sea-glass. She then said, “Well, that’s nice. But if you really, really want to show me, you’d send me a sand dollar.” Of course, no one had seen a sand dollar on the coast of Maine in decades. Lisa took a couple of steps further and, as she watched a wave coming in, she could see a circle floating in the wave. She walked over and picked it up. It was a sand dollar.

Beck, Richard, Hunting Magic Eels: Recovering an Enchanted Faith in a Skeptical Age. Broadleaf Books. 2021.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash