Love Is Eternal
From God’s Wakeup Call
By Nancy Goldberg Hilton
I dedicate this story — Love Is Eternal — to the people in Maui who are suffering, and to all who are enduring earthquakes, floods, and other disasters that have taken loved ones.
I am the father of a child, small and meek. She was beautiful to behold, with blonde, curly hair and bright blue eyes. It was as if her bubbly personality was encased in a body too small to contain it. When people peered into her eyes they felt a sense of joy and purpose enter their lives. She did nothing extraordinary — she simply smiled — but the effect was like lightning striking the heart: the light filled you up and then passed on to another person nearby.
It was on a Wednesday at 6:02 p.m. when life changed. Nothing was expected; it had been just an ordinary day. Then an earthquake struck, and the home and life I had vanished under tons of rubble. I was on my way home; the shaking brought me to my knees. By the time I reached where my house had been, there was nothing left but piles of rock. I frantically tore at the stones, trying to reach my wife and my precious blue-eyed daughter. Others heard my cries and came running. Hour after hour we worked together. Many came because they remembered the bright light they felt when they first met my little one.
Days passed and no sounds were heard, no motion detected. All I could feel was darkness, hopelessness, and despair. Finally I sat amid the rubble and prayed like I never had before. “If she is alive, Heavenly Father, please direct a beam of sunlight toward the spot where we should dig,” I begged.
As if on cue, the sun peeked from behind a cloud and pierced the sky down to a point in the rubble. But as I stepped toward it I saw another beam of light rising from the ground to meet the one from above. The two beams connected. As I stepped into that light my despair vanished. Love poured into me from above and below. I became part of a great oneness that flowed through me and then to others.
In that moment I knew my daughter’s love continued to flow even after her death. There was a new life in her that would reach beyond this world and never end. She was still with me — and would be for all eternity.
It is my prayer that these stories will challenge you to think about the different aspects of your life. You can find links to these stories in the description.
I’m also a watercolor artist. After my miracle I felt compelled to include Jesus Christ in my paintings. That’s why I created HiltonArtist.com — where you can download any of these watercolors for your personal use, free of charge.
© Nancy Hilton 2011
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