| Hello Rose,
What a heart rending situation!
� My question is since she is not aware of what she is doing where is her soul?
The soul stays with the body until death. But the spiritual state if the soul
is not dependent on physical ability. Only the LORD knows the heart, and we
know that the Judge of all the earth shall do right, in His great love for us.
� I know she believed in Christ before the accident, but I'm not sure (I was
� only 11) if she had given her heart to Christ.
� But how can I be sure that she is saved?
We cannot always be sure - especially in such a difficult situation, but there
may be some pointers. For instance:
- Is she able to give a positive response to a mention of the LORD?
- Does she like - or accept - the Bible being read to her?
- Is she able to accept you praying with her?
Even so, these can only be pointers. If she does respond to these, it is
likely that the LORD is in her heart, but if she doesn't, it isn't a definite
'no'. I have known some confused cases where, for instance, elderly and infirm
people have behaved quite out of character in extreme illness.
We have a monthly service at an Old People's home, and very few of them can
respond much at all. But there's some I'm confident know the LORD, even
though they can't do much more than smile! One lady used to give quite a
positive response, until last week when she had deteriorated a lot physically,
and, I guess, mentally, because all she could do was to sit and ask in a
querulous voice "And where do we go from here?". All the explanations went
right past her, until one man said "It depends whether you know the LORD - if
you do, it's to heaven , buy if you don't, it has to be the other place."
She paused a moment, and then said "Well, yes - I suppose you are right!", as
if she meant it. Then she went back to asking her question....
My parents know a (Christian) lady who has adopted or fostered a number of
children, many of them handicapped. One she took in many years ago couldn't
speak, hear, see, or do anything that we would think essential to enjoy life.
She only had the sense of touch, and would be quite alarmed if her hand was
touched by someone unexpectedly. The lady cared for her (as well as the rest
of the large family) for many years, until the daughter died about a year ago -
in her 30s! I wondered how one could let someone so handicapped know the
gospel, but I think the only way is to show them the love of the LORD, and
pray, leaving it in His hands.
The state of the soul is not dependent on what we can gauge. But I can add my
prayers to.
God bless
Andrew
|
| Thanks for your prayers. I only get to see my mother once a year or so
since we live so far away (she's in Alaska), but for years when I see
her I don't see the woman who used to yell at me to pick up my toys, or
hug me when I fell down. I see someone else. Someone that I don't
know and doesn't know me. It's hard, but I love her dearly. I used
to think (and sometimes still do) that the part of her I knew is asleep
even though her eyes are open and will wake up someday.
Thanks
Rose
|
| I think that's a great way to look on it - as her being asleep, waiting for
the day to wake up. And that day might be the one when she sees the LORD.
I like the verse where Zechariah is called for a vision, and it says:
"Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man
is wakened from sleep"
Zechariah 4:1
Even the most alert and aware of us are sleeping compared to what our
awareness of eternity will be like.
Then (we) shall all know fully, even as (we are) fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
Andrew
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