A Personal Testimony - Bella Third
I would like to share two particlur wonderful experiences I have had.
The first during the 'Billy Graham Scotland Crusade'. At that time I was going through a very distressing time and I went to the meetings every night in the church and also to the Pittodrie Stadium to hear Billy Graham.It was a great time for prayer, singing and revival. I was listening very intently in my seat in our church to what he was saying : "If you are troubled, tell it to Jesus. Come forward and take your stand for Christ." I felt this message was for me and, as I got up from my seat to go to the front, I felt this wonderful presence, too hard to describe - God's frogrance was very near to me. Well, I went forward and took my stand for Christ. I have often wondered about this beautiful fragrance. When I was a young girl, I used to hear my mother speak of the sweet smelling incense of the Lord.
My second experience of this was last year - 1st March 2003. I got a phone call from the hospital saying the doctor wanted to see the family and so, with Angela and her husband, Sandy, and my eldest grandson, Malcolm, we went down to the hospital. The doctor told us my husband had come to the end of the road and they were going to give him something to make him comfortable. We stayed with him for a while then returned home so that I could call my eldest daughter. When Norma came through from Aberdeen about 2pm we returned to the hospital. Angela and Sandy came back in the evening and we stayed with him until 3am on the Sunday morning. We had the use of the family room to make tea or just to have a break from the ward. By this time we were all very sad and tired and we asked the Sister if we could go for a freshen up. She said "yes" and, if there was any change, she would phone us.
Sandy said he would go and bring the car round to the door. As he came into the ward, Norma and myself both said "Sandy, what a fine smell. Have you been using aftershave or soap? But, he said "No!" It was more than a coincidence that we both smelt it at the same time.
I asked Geoff about it when he was visiting me and he said it was the presence of the Lord. My dear Jimmy passed away on the Sunday morning, 2nd March at 9.10am very peacefully and with the sweet Heavenly Fragrance of the Lord around him. As it happened, that particular Sunday was Resurrection Day.
At Christmas time I was watching Songs of Praise led by Aled Jones. One of the hymns was called 'Star of the East'. He said that, while the shepherds were in the fields they said "when doth that heavenly fragrance come?"
Now I know the answer and, as an old friend of the family says 'It's better felt than telt!"
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