This is part two of a true story about a young girl named Gem.

Laying on the ground and looking up the clouds was Gem’s favorite thing to do. She would pretend she was a bird and could just fly away. Gem was sick a lot, in and out of the hospital for various illnesses. She was never as sick as that one day in July.

Gem heard one of the nurses yell, “We are losing her!” The bright lights over the table were blinding, they burned Gem’s eyes. Those lights were the last thing Gem saw. All the chaos and the yelling and the pain was gone. The burning bright lights gave way to a different kind of light. This light was all around Gem, everywhere. It was soft and bright at the same time, but it did not hurt her eyes. The light was so comforting and full of peace. While Gem cannot explain it, the light was love. She wanted to be in the light, it was like an incredible hug. The light made her feel free and at perfect peace.

Suddenly, the light was shrinking as if it was going into a tunnel, it was leaving! Gem tried to grab the light and hold onto it. She tried to run towards the light but something was holding her back. Gem wanted nothing more than to stay in that light. She wanted to follow it and become a part of its love, peace and beauty. As the light got farther and farther away, Gem started to hear the sounds of chaos – machines buzzing, nurses yelling, and maybe there was someone crying. She did not care, Gem wanted to feel that light again. Why was it leaving and taking its peace and love away from her. Gem felt sad that she was not strong enough to fly away and follow the light.

When Gem awoke, it was two weeks later. She was laying in a hospital room with the television on. A family member she loved was there and began to talk gently with her about what happened. Gem did not want to hear any of it, she was very hungry and asked for a cheeseburger from the fast food place in the hospital that she knew was there from all of her other hospital stays. Most of Gem’s medical equipment had been removed by this point and only two pieces that could be rolled around were left. The family member put Gem in a wheelchair and wheeled her to the fast food place.

After Gem ate her cheeseburger, they returned to her hospital room to discover a horrified group of nurses. The family member was asked what they were thinking and at the same time Gem was being asked how she felt. Gem felt fine, but she wanted that light back. As the nurses checked Gem over, she closed her eyes to try to find that beautiful light again. She wanted the calm it gave her. She wanted to feel the love she felt coming from that light. How did that make sense, it was a light – but it was love and brought peace somehow. Despite all of her attempts, Gem has yet to see that light again.

Gem was told that she died on the table and was gone for some time. As the medical team was working on her body, Gem’s spirit ascended like a bird toward heaven. But it was not Gem’s time, she had more life to live, it was too soon. God breathed the breath of life back into her lungs and she gasped her way back into the chaos, the yelling, and the arms of her loved ones. But things were different.

Later on, Gem came to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She felt that same inexplicable peace and love. As Gem began to read the Bible, she understood that Jesus is the light of the world. Gem now carried that peace and love and calm inside of her everywhere she went. Gem realized that with Jesus in her heart, she IS the light. The light was now hers to share with as many people as possible.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for every breath we take. Thank You that You fill our lungs with air and give our hearts the strength to pump our blood throughout our body. Thank You for Your light and for healing. Thank You for Your peace and love. Help us to share You with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.