By Mark Ellis —
Sometimes, a good man seems like the most difficult person to save. In Mike Proctor’s family, his wife and children were never quite sure where he stood with the Lord, but God gave them a gift at the end of Mike’s life.
“Up until two weeks ago, I was never sure if he had accepted the Lord,” says son Andy. “I knew he heard the message, but he always kept quiet about those things,” Andy notes. “He was always very private.”
Mike faced many health battles during his 72 years of life, beginning with juvenile diabetes. Due to complications of that disease, doctors amputated the lower part of his right leg in 2001. Several years later he lost the toes on his left foot. Altogether, Mike had 22 surgeries during his lifetime, including spinal surgery.
“Through it all he had the most upbeat attitude,” Andy recalls.
Someone once asked Mike about his height. “I was six feet tall, then I lost a foot and a half,” he joked.
After the rest of Mike’s right leg was amputated recently, his health deteriorated. “He was on dialysis and had a feeding tube. His body was shutting down at the end,” Andy says, with sadness.
On January 29th, Andy went to visit his father in the hospital. He knew it might be one of his last opportunities to talk to his father about eternity. Mike was completely unresponsive on the day Andy visited, but Andy sensed that somehow his father could hear him.
“Dad, I don’t want anything to happen to you, but if something does happen to you, I want to know I will get to see you again in heaven,” he began. He spoke to his father as if he could hear every word.
With great care, Andy presented the gospel message to his father. But there was no verbal affirmation, no squeeze of the hand, no wink of the eye to let Andy know he even heard him.
A few days later – Super Bowl Sunday – Andy returned to the hospital. This time, Andy was surprised to discover his father could talk a little bit. “Do you remember what we talked about a few days ago?” he inquired, gingerly.
“Yes,” Mike replied.
“So, if something happened do you think you will be going to heaven?” Andy asked.
Mike pointed both of his hands up toward the sky.
“So you’re going to heaven?”
“Absolutely,” Mike said with assurance.
“Have you accepted Jesus?”
“Yes…yes!” Mike said.
His father’s firm affirmation of faith made the next few days bearable for Andy, because his father’s health continued to erode precipitously. “After we knew his heart — and had the assurance that he was saved, it was hard, but now I could let go.”
A few days after Mike told his son he was saved, a difficult decision was made – to remove him from life support.”
Doctors gave Mike the opportunity to make the decision for himself when he had a moment of clarity. “I don’t want to do it anymore,” he told the doctors.
Andy says it was an “amazing day” when doctors removed his father’s life support. “We were standing around his bed. He was looking around at us, but then he began to look past us,” Andy recalls.
“Are you seeing something, Mike?” his wife Lydia asked.
Mike nodded. A serene smile suddenly lit up his countenance.
“Are you seeing angels?”
“Ten million of them!” he exulted.
Andy snapped a last photograph of his father at that moment. “He was seeing heaven and it was awesome,” Andy says.
After life support was removed, including food and water, Mike lingered another 10 days, but he could no longer communicate.
Still, God gave the Proctor family a priceless gift – the assurance of Mike’s eternal destination. “The Lord was so faithful!” Andy says, his heart full of gratitude to God.
If you want to know more about following Jesus, go here
Lydia and family,
I’m sorry for your loss but rejoicing with you that you will be seeing Mike again. God is Good.
A beautiful example of a son who never gave up on his beloved father, loving him to the Lord. Mike’s life is celebrated by so many as he now celebrates in Heaven.
I experienced something similar the night my brother passed away. It was an amazing experience.
I often wondered if I would ever meet or know any one else with a similar experience God gave me when my grandmother passed away. My grandmother got sick suddenly and ended up in the hospital with no response for 7 days. I had recently got saved and knew it was Jesus who had saved me,but had no idea who the Holy Spirit was. on the 7th day at 10pm the Holy Spirit told me to get the family in there to say there good byes that she would be leaving at 2am so I did.my family asked me how I knew this I told them “I don’t know but I do so I need you to believe me and come quickly. Everything was timed just right cause after 7 days of no response and everyone said their good byes she lifted her arms towards heaven and smiled so big with eyes wide and a look of excitement as if someone was welcoming her . This was how I met the spirit of God who was in me. My grandmother was a spiritual women and I knew the Lord she so dearly loved was ready to receive her. I have never grieved for her because I always knew she wanted to always be with him. And I was joy us for her. I will never forget what God had allowed me to experience. I now know how she feels and want to be with him also, but until his time I will remain here until he is ready for my homecoming. Thank you for your story and prayers for your loss.
About an hour before my mom passed away in a local nursing home on Christmas Eve 2013, she opened her eyes and looked past us. Her eyes grew wide as if she was seeing something amazing. She didn’t speak but we pray that she was witnessing a glimpse of Heaven! Back in 1994 my dad was dying of cancer, and on his last day, just before he was rushed to the hospital, my brother said he saw my dad looking off toward the corner of the living room, waving his hand with a surprised look on his face. Did he see loved ones gathering to welcome him home? We feel blessed to have been with our mom and dad when they took their last breath, and comforted that we were able to witness, through them, a welcoming world beyond this one.
For those who believe no explanation is necessary and for those who don’t believe no explanation is possible!
Great article. I was recently diagnosed with Wegeners, a vascular condition that affects the blood vessels, just prior to me getting on medication to fight the disease, which I’m currently doing (please pray). I truly believe that I saw on angel in my bedroom as a comforting force/healing force around 4:30 am. The angel was not physical in the sense we would explain it it looked more so like an x-ray that slowly faded away (All I could see of the angel was from the top of his head to about his waist area). This was right around Valentine’s Day of this year, it was a Sunday morning. I’m doing better and I’m on medications. This is the first time in my 25+ years of the Lord – this is not typical of my previous experiences with my faith but it did occur.
thank you for sharing this beautiful story,
it really touched my heart.
our God is an Awesome God!
Bless You in Jesus Holy Name!
Many years ago my great grandmother died at the age of 60 after a very debilitating illness. The doctor cane to the house and pronounced her dead. A nurse had done so earlier. Since it was late at night the mortician did not arrive until morning. When he went UPSTAIRS TO GET HER BODY HE FOUND HER SITTING UP AT HER DRESSER COMBING HER HAIR. SHE WAS COMPLETELY WELL. SHE SAID,
“I HAD THE MOST WONDERFUL DREAM. I WENT TO HEAVEN AND JESUS SENT ME BACK. HE TOLD ME I HAD WORK TO DO.” She lived for another 30 years and became an outstanding Bible scholar and counsellor. Even C. I. Scofield, author of the Scofield Reference Bible used to consult her in preparing his reference Bible. When she died finally at the age of 91 the local newspaper wrote about her experience and 30 years as a counsellor and Bible scholar.
We have a copy of the article.
Rev.Jones,
Contact me by email. I would like to talk to you more about this, possibly do a story.
Blessings,
Mark Ellis
[email protected]
I believe many a people see heaven and always keep in tourch with CHRIST at heart without actively declaring Jesus in public. Your father serves to many an example as to how to receive the Lord in their every day life. Am happy that you took courage to publish this testimony though painful and some may take it as a private affair. Andy know that a people behind your father are now seeing a bigger light to follow the Saviour.
This story of your father Andy was so beautiful! I cried the whole time I was reading it. I am so glad that the Lord gave you and your family that sweet assurance that you will see him again. God is so loving that way. The grief is still there for those of us left behind, but the hope of seeing our love ones again is such a comfort. I am so glad that you and your family now have the joy of knowing that you will see your father again. Our prayers are with you Andy.
Matthew 25:31 …’When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.’
So Jesus will come with ALL His angels. Do you know how many angels Jesus has? Look at Revelation 5:11 …’And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ … This is probably a conservative number, but if we do the math of this verse, we come to at least ONE HUNDRED MILLION. Can you imagine? Jesus is going to return at His second coming with at least ONE HUNDRED MILLION MIGHTY ANGELS! This is going to be an awesome event!!
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 …’And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the bible Second ComingLord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
When do we rest? AT THE SECOND COMING. And what is the second coming going to be like? An ARMY of at least 100,000,000 MIGHTY ANGELS coming with Jesus in FLAMING FIRE!! This is going to be a glorious and dreadful event at the same time, as it says in Malachi 4:5…’the great and dreadful day of the Lord.’ … Glorious for the redeemed, but dreadful for those who are lost.
Acts 1:9-11 …’And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.’
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