Kathi Pelton
When I married my husband, almost 35 years ago, I became part of a beautiful larger family as well. Jeff’s dad and mom became my dad and mom, his siblings became my siblings, and his huge extended family became my huge extended family. Over the past three decades that family has grown exponentially, with many births and very few deaths. All our immediate family has walked with Jesus with one exception: our beautiful mom.
Throughout her eighty years, Mom Pelton carried herself with dignity, kindness, generosity, and strength. Her smile could light up a room, and her giggle was absolutely infectious. In her prime, her beauty was the kind you would expect to see on a Hollywood red carpet. She deeply loved her family—nothing was more important or dear to her heart—yet she was also fiercely independent and tenacious in her opinions, and she refused to express any desire to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Her salvation became our greatest concern and constant prayer.
This past week, while Jeff and I were on a ministry trip, we received a phone call alerting us that Mom had been rushed to the hospital and was in the Intensive Care Unit with a dreadful infection that was causing her internal organs to shut down. The doctors did not give much hope for her survival. All the family gathered around her with the exception of Jeff and me.
Jeff is Mom’s firstborn, as well as the strength of the family. As her first night in the hospital slowly crept into early morning, Mom—through her intense pain and confusion—repeatedly called out for Jeff, wondering why he wasn’t there. From far away we were fervently praying, so although Jeff and I were not physically at her side, spiritually we were both more present than ever.
As soon as we received the initial call, Jeff and I, along with the family that was hosting us, had entered into a most amazing prayer time for Mom. During this time the Spirit of God gave one of our hosts a picture of Mom as a young girl living on her family’s ranch. She was sitting in tall grass and crying because her beloved horse had been kicked by another horse, and the injuries were so severe that he was being put down. She cried out to God to save him, but it was hopeless. At that point disappointment and unbelief tore open her young heart, causing a deep divide between her and God.
The Holy Spirit directed Jeff, the first born of her children and the first in the family to be born into the Kingdom of God, to open the womb of her spirit and minister to that little girl’s broken heart. He removed the lie that she perceived and believed through this painful event and spoke the truth of God’s love into her spirit. Powerful and deep revelations were given us as we continued praying, and we became absolutely certain that Jesus was about to reveal Himself to Mom in such a way that she would receive Him as Savior.
Jeff and I caught an early morning flight to California to be with the family as they surrounded Mom’s hospital bed. When we arrived we were informed that Mom had cried out and told Dad to move aside, because there was a man standing behind him. No one else in the room could see this man, so they were sure it was an angel, or Jesus. Over the next three days we never left her side, and we worshipped, proclaimed Scripture, told stories and laughed and wept, and whispered over and over into Mom’s ear how much we loved her, and how much Jesus loved her.
Just a few hours before she slipped into unconsciousness, Dad and I leaned over Mom, and with an intensity of tenderness and emotion that was palpable—and surprising given her weakened state—she murmured “I love you!” Dad began to quietly cry, and said “I love you too, Sweetheart; and Jesus loves you and wants to take you home to be with Him.”
I have rarely in my life experienced such fullness of surrender and power in a single word as I felt when Mom gently looked at us and said “Okay.” In that simple, whispered syllable, I heard and knew in my spirit that she had submitted herself just like Mary, mother of Jesus, did as she stood before Gabriel: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Together, we watched Mom’s heart surrender to God before she left us to be with Him.
It was the most beautiful and bittersweet time our family has ever had. It was truly “life-changing” for each of us as we watched a miracle unfold before our eyes. Forty years of prayers were being fulfilled in a three-day period, as Mom’s spirit was resurrected from death to life. The peace in the room and on her face was unmistakable. Her hospital room became a place of healing for the entire family.
As I’ve spend the past week with our precious family recounting this miracle again and again, I became aware that this was just one of the many miracles that will be fulfilled. It has been prophesied that we have entered a time of unprecedented miracles, and I believe that we witnessed one of them this week. There are prayers and promises that have been contended for by God’s sons and daughters for many years, and they will suddenly be fulfilled before their eyes. They will look upon these miracles and shake their heads in awe and disbelief as they suddenly come to pass.
It will be as if the bowls in Heaven that hold the prayers of the saints have been filled to capacity and are suddenly overflowing with the long awaited answers. Though the fulfillment of some of our deepest and most anguished prayers have appeared delayed, we have kept the Lord as our delight and He is giving us the desires of our hearts.
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4
I know that our family’s personal testimony is the “spirit of prophesy” for your coming miracle. Do not lose hope and hold fast to your delight in the Lord. He is able!
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
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