Growing up, Mom had a saying I heard often. “You’d better believe it!” She’d say this if I doubted her, disregarded her advice, or if she wanted to emphasize a point.

Years later, when I married and had children, my mother and mother-in-law developed a close bond. They enjoyed each other’s company at family gatherings and spoiled our girls as grandmothers often do. My mother shared stories of her faith, and my mother-in-law likewise conveyed her beliefs. They were good support and encouragement to each other.

As time passed, my mother-in-law, Clara, became ill. We learned she would need open-heart surgery to replace two heart valves. However, due to co-existing health conditions, the surgeon indicated the procedure could pose risks, and it did. The surgery was complicated, and Clara’s post-surgical condition in the I.C.U. was guarded.

One night, exhausted from a full day at the hospital, I collapsed into a sound sleep. At three o’clock in the morning, I awoke suddenly.  I felt as if my mother-in-law (still in the I.C.U.) was speaking to me. We’d often talked on the phone, so in a way, it didn’t seem so unusual—except this message was being delivered to my heart in milli-seconds.

“This is your dear ‘Mum.’ You know how much I love you all. I’m getting ready to go up to see God the Father. Take good care of my dear son and the girls…”

Other words of endearment flashed into my mind, but I couldn’t catch onto them—the message faded.  

I didn’t know what to think. Was this for real—or was I dreaming? But if I was only dreaming, why did I lay awake, unable to get the message out of my mind?  

Finally, I slept. A few minutes after eight o'clock the following day, we were awoken by the loud ring of the phone. I answered. It was the soft voice of the I.C.U. Nurse. She hesitated, her voice cracking as she delivered the news.  

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “We just lost your mother-in-law. She had a sudden, massive heart attack.”
She was gone! I looked up at my husband. We cried.  

Despite the sorrow, I felt a sense of calm. I asked the nurse if anything unusual had happened during the night. She hesitated momentarily. “Your mother-in-law’s blood pressure dropped at three this morning,” she said.  
   
I gasped. It was the same time I awoke to the “message.”  I hadn’t been dreaming after all—if I had only known!  

We phoned my mother to relay the sad news. She was as heartbroken as we were. “But it was a blessing that you and Clara have always had a strong faith,” I told her.  

“Yes,” my mother replied. “You’d better believe it.”

It has been many years since my mother and Clara passed away, but if I could talk to them again, I’d tell them how grateful I am for all they taught me about having faith. It started by simply saying, I believe.

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“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
 
Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
Story appeared in a blog post from October 2016.  

It's a nice feeling to be welcomed, isn't it? Maybe it's a simple "Hello!" from an associate as you walk into a store. Or perhaps you are greeted with a handshake in a business setting, or you are welcomed as a new neighbor, a new member of a club, or as a new visitor at church.  
 
We have many opportunities to meet people, whether we're signing onto a Zoom session online, or stepping outside the boundaries of home.  

I love meeting people in person; perhaps you do, too? There is something about human contact that helps quench the longing in our souls for a sense of belonging and companionship. We want to feel needed, cared about, and loved. 
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God never intended for us to be solitary creatures. Instead, He designed us to be in community with one another. In the grand scheme of things, we are meant to form meaningful relationships with others, to help one another, to carry each other's burdens, and to love one another (see Genesis 2:18, 1 Peter 3:8, and Galatians 6:2, and John 15:12-13). 

It is a comforting and joyful feeling to be welcomed by others. As we are welcomed, in turn, we welcome them into our presence. It is a reciprocal relationship. The next time you say, "Nice to Meet You" (or when you are the recipient of this greeting), be reminded that you are meant to be connected to others.  

There is a well-known painting that depicts Jesus standing before an unopened door, knocking. It is a beautiful representation of Jesus' desire to connect with us. A verse in Matthew 7:7-8 is fitting here: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." 

A verse from John 10:9 reveals the Lord's words. He says, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." 

If Jesus were to knock at your door today, how would you respond? 

Do you already know Him as your Savior, guide, teacher, caretaker, counselor? If so, you know His love is all encompassing. If you don't yet know Him, He would want you to know that He loves you more than you can imagine, and He wants to be part of your life. Invite him into your heart. He will welcome you with open arms! 

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