Do not Be Afraid! Just be Ready!

 Just recently in the place of dreams, I met a man who I had only heard of, but with whom I share everything. I do not know why he chose to visit me now, but there can be no doubt that he did visit me, and turned my heart to that which is most important.



Grandpa in uniform during WWII



I grew up in Montana. Untamed, untouched, and unconquered. Since then I have seen Portugal where I taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I have moved to the good land of Arizona, where I met the love of my life. Portugal is the land of discovery where I discovered and found myself, and Arizona is the land where I found love and my lifelong friend. Understanding the purpose of these two places in my life has made me question, "What did I find in Montana?" I think that this is the reason that this man chose to visit me at this location during my dream, the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the beautiful forests of Glacier National Park. There I learned what I had never thought of before, from a man I had never met. I had simply looked at him, mystified by the man who was my father's father, as I did at the mountains in Montana, never understanding the majesty or complete significance of their lessons. It is important to know where I was visited and who visited me; for it was there that the lesson could be learned. It was where he knew I would listen.

The banks of Two Medicine Lake

I woke up on the banks of Two Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park., in a white canvas tent. The sun lit up the tent to where all I could see was light, but not a blinding light, just the light of day through a tent. To be honest, it was a confusing place to wake up in, but a voice said, “Do not be afraid, just be ready!”

I got up and walked to the door of the tent, and there I saw that I was wearing no shoes and all white. My skin was perfect, without blemish, scar, or any flaw.

“I am dead.” That was my only thought. All of my understanding of death indicated that my body had gone away, and it was by spirit that I now wandered. Now death is not something to be feared, but still I began to be afraid.

The voice came again, “Do not be afraid, just be ready!”

Grandpa Sam as I saw him in my dream

I know the lake well, so I began to walk its rocky white shore. The lake water was not freezing this time; it seemed to be as refreshingly warm as the Atlantic Ocean I knew in Portugal. The rocks did not hurt my feet; they were as soft as sand and the water they now touched. All of the rocks were white, but occasionally there were stones that were black and shiny. All of the stones were unique, but some were extraordinary. It was then that he appeared, and I remembered what was whispered twice, just minutes before, “Do not be afraid, just be ready!”

At first, I thought it was Dad as he smiled with his whole face, just like Dad does. His eyes were peaceful, and he stood ready to receive me, like Dad does after a long separation of not seeing each other for a while. The only thing that did not look the same was his black hair and goatee. Speaking to me in an even and peaceful tone, he said.

“Eric, I have waited your whole life to know you.”

I did not recognize his voice, but it sounded familiar. I looked at his face again, and saw even more of my father than before, but it was not him.

“Who are you?”

Grandpa looking like my dad.

Walking towards me, with his hands behind his back, he chuckled to himself.

“I suppose that it is obvious now that you have never seen me as I have seen you, but it is time that you do." Then in an even and calm tone of voice, he said "I am Samuel; your Grandfather.”

Nothing could have prepared me for meeting a man I knew to be dead. I knew for sure, that I was dead. I was scared, and my thoughts turned to my wife JoElla. Was she to be a widow after only two years of marriage? Would we be denied the blessings of children? What could she do if I was no longer there? What could I do in a place of death so far away from her? The thoughts and questions were racing, and my mind was disturbed at what would become of her and I.

As my grandfather saw worry overcome me, he simply embraced me saying, in the same voice I heard from earlier. “You are not dead, and neither am I. Do not be afraid! Just be ready!”

As Grandpa Sam embraced me with all the love that he possessed, I realized that in this life, I had never known a grandfather’s love or the kindness that this man possessed for me, without ever knowing me. He indeed was not dead, and did indeed know me, and this, I did not understand.

Grandpa Sam as I saw him in another experience. I will tell that story in a future blog post.