Chapter 94
Janie Shares…
Our adventure began while Jim and I were living in Jackson, Mississippi. As Jim was traveling throughout the state working for his father in the insurance business, I had a special experience. One night as I sat on the sofa reading the book, Angels by BIlly graham, all of a sudden, it was as if instantly a spiritual darkness just lifted from me.1 Within a moment I immediately understood so much more of what I had been reading about Jesus (yahushua), the cross, and ministering angels. It was as if I could see with my spiritual eyes for the first time. God lifted the veil and let me see into the spirit world. I perceived angels coming to earth bringing messages for answered prayers and then returning to heaven. Angels were doing warfare on our behalf and protecting us. It was indeed a special time. It was a time that I received a special touch from the Lord. The Holy spirit was at the cross when yahushua (Jesus) died. It was as if I could perceive the entire experience of the death, burial, and resurrection through the eyes of the Holy spirit. I said, “now I see, yahushua (Jesus) is all that matters in Heaven and in the earth.” it was a time of fresh commitment. After this experience, I began following the Lord with a new zeal and dedication and joined with Jim in his excitement.
God began to train us up as his children. He brought several teachings to us about making a covenant with Him. Prayer, worship, Bible reading, study, and keeping a daily journal became a daily part of our lives, along with regular church attendance. God was teaching us how to have patience, and live by faith in every area of our life. God allowed us to experience many difficulties as we learned to trust in Him, and, after a couple of years and many trials, my zeal began to wane. Our first child had been born mentally and physically disabled at birth due to oxygen deprivation, we never seemed to have enough money, and this new strange walk of faith was taking an emotional toll on me.
During the Christmas of 1979, Jim, Kellie, and I took a brief vacation to san Antonio, Texas, to visit my family. On a one night stopover at Jim’s sister’s home, what should have been an uneventful evening turned out to be one of the most meaningful nights in my whole life! December 14, 1979, in Jim’s sister’s home in Lafayette, Louisiana, I woke up from a night’s sleep, but something had happened to me for the first time. I was returning from Heaven! Since we were on our first night of vacation away from home, I was questioning my senses. Maybe the unfamiliar room and bed were playing tricks on my dreams, but as I sat on the edge of the bed, I realized that what I had experienced was quite real. I had just left the presence of yahushua (Jesus) Himself.
The evening before had been very normal, visiting and dinner. I went to sleep as usual. Immediately after falling asleep, I felt myself leave my body. As my spiritual body rose above my physical body it flipped over, and as I rose toward the ceiling I was looking down upon my body lying in bed asleep. I then felt my spiritual body being pulled through a dark tunnel. I flashed at jet speed through the tunnel on a ray of light. Soon I arrived in a beautiful, peaceful place. When I first arrived, the only person I saw was Yahushua (Jesus) standing in front of a pair of huge, beautiful golden gates. Jesus spoke to me as He met me. He then took me on a visit to heavenly places and showed me many things. Then we returned to the place in front of the beautiful gates where we first met. Yahushua (Jesus) spoke to me very seriously. He asked me if I was willing to die and give up my life willingly. He told me to think about the question seriously. He said that Jim has a very special call on his life and that there were going to be very important things that He was calling on Jim to do for the kingdom of god. He wanted me to know that it was of serious importance that I do not hold him back from the call and anointing on his life. It was my understanding that if I were to stay strong in the Lord’s way, I would fulfill this call with Jim, but if I held him back, I would be taken home (to Heaven).
Yahushua (Jesus) then asked me if I would be willing to die to see all of my family saved. He told me he did not want an answer right away, but I should think seriously about my answer. I asked yahushua (Jesus) if, after returning to my body and waking up, He would allow me to remember all of the things I learned and saw in Heaven. I knew that it would really make a difference in the way I would live my life. Yahushua (Jesus) said He could not let me remember all that I saw but would allow me to remember this conversation we were having about the purpose of my life with Jim and my purpose to bring salvation to my family. I would be able to remember that I spoke with yahushua (Jesus) and saw the beautiful gates of Heaven, but nothing more.
When I woke the next morning, it felt as if there was no air In my lungs. The first thing I remember is taking a huge breath of air, then I shot straight up out of bed. The events of the previous evening were very real to me, and I knew that it had not been simply a dream or vision. I remembered the last conversation I had with Jesus, and I knew that He wanted me to think before giving Him an answer. I was so overwhelmed by the events of the evening I did not tell anyone about them the next morning and in fact for over two weeks.
My life began to take on a new meaning. I saw that god’s purpose for my life was very different from my thoughts and plans. From that morning on and for the rest of the trip I had some very anxious thoughts and decisions. I knew only one answer was right. I knew I could not hold Jim back from the call on his life, and I knew that I was willing to die for my family’s salvation. Without talking to anyone, even Jim, I told yahushua (Jesus) my answer. The decision had been made. I confirmed it by sharing the story for the first time to Jim and a few close friends at a new year’s eve communion service at our home. No, Yahushua (Jesus) did not take my physical life, but He began a slow, and may I say somewhat painful process of taking away the self-pleasure seeking lifestyle I had. There is no doubt that the events of that one evening gave me the strength and determination to stay in this walk with the Lord through all of the difficult things He would eventually ask us to do. It is a common saying in Christian circles that salvation is freely offered, and that is true, but the corrected answer is that; salvation may be free, but to remain and allow god to develop us into committed Christians will always have a price. Scripture says, “To count the cost,”2 and there will always be a cost to follow yahushua (Jesus).