my great aunt's recent death has made me think about my grandpa's death as well, and i thought i'd share something my mom wrote about my grandpa's last words. she is writing in the first person here, and when she says "dad" she means my grandpa (her father - in - law). i was there for part of this experience, and it was amazing to see a man staring into eternity, one foot in this world, and one foot in the next...

Here is what my mom wrote:

"My daughters in law and I visited dad at the hospital on the Friday night before his death. We found him alone, that evening, resting in his room. He roused, noticed us by his bedside, and began to speak. Dad labored at each breath, and with heaving chest, he haltingly shared this experience.
He turned to Holly, Amy and I, looking blissful, even gleeful— he spoke with such difficulty pausing and gasping between each word. “I saw a light…” he beamed. “I’ve had a taste of heaven! I’ve tasted it!” His face shone, as he smiled knowingly. “He’s there. Jesus is coming back!” His countenance was joyful as he turned to my girls. “I’ll see you there in a little while,” Dad said. Then, he looked at me and gently said, “And you’re already there.” I knew that Dad trusted God, but still I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Even in matters of faith, it was unusual for him to talk in that way.
Dad dozed a bit, and we began to pray for him. The words of a pastor came ringing back to me. “No one knows what a person faces as they stand at the doorway of death.” We knew that Dad was poised between here and eternity and we quietly began asking God to complete His inner work in Dad’s soul and spirit.
Dad’s tranquility then began to shift to agitation. “Did God say something?, “ he asked? “Has he spoken…to your family?” “He speaks to us in the Bible, Grandpa…. Is that what you mean?” Holly asked. Dad was restless, troubled, trying to think and remember. His agitation increased and he was moving in his bed, his brow furrowed. “It was an event…. a long time ago…..” He trailed off, unable express his train of thought. “Rest Grandpa, rest,” we said.
We were concerned about his anxiety and just continued praying quietly.
A little while later, Dad spoke once more. “The Lord will make His choice. The Lord will do His choosing. He has made His choice.”
Dad Kimball seemed fully aware that God had appointed this time for him to die. Yet he drifted off into a troubled sleep again…Dad rolled weakly in his bed. “I’m raging inside…I’m going crazy…This is the craziest night of my life.”
We just kept praying for peace for Dad…. He was so distressed and had rolled onto his side. We lightly held his hand, trying to comfort or soothe him in some way in this troubled rest.
Then, in a few minutes, Dad said, ”Girls…. Let go of my hand.” We complied and he rolled over onto his back. Then, with arms lifted and open, Dad Kimball spoke his own prayer. “It’s all yours, God. You have to do it all. You have to do it….yes, God…….yes, God……yes, God.”
To my knowledge, these were his final words in this life.


JoanE. Kimball
Holly Kimball
Amy Kimball

May 25, 2001

posted by Chaddo 1/25/2002 03:18:00 PM