Her Dad Was Dying, And God Sent A Deer As A Special Messenger
October 15, 2015
The Story Of The Buck
Losing a loved one is never easy, and many times the final days can be especially difficult for the family. While we take comfort in knowing our loved ones are headed to a better place, where we will one day see them again, it’s still hard to say goodbye.
When TV News Anchor, Latricia Thomas, recently lost her father, the family was blessed with a true miracle in his final days. Latricia was kind enough to share the experience during the eulogy at her father’s service, and also on the Facebook page of the TV station where she works. And what happened during her father’s days is truly incredible.
Please read on to hear the gift God sent Latricia and her family. . .
When My Daddy was a hunter. Every year, on opening weekend of bow season, you could find him in a tree, in his camo at sunrise.
As the years went by, he traded his gun for a camera and instead taught his kids and grandkids how to enjoy the hobby he loved.
Last week, two days before he died, Daddy met his buck. It was gorgeous, a 10 point with six spikes on one side and four on the other. He came to the window where daddy was sitting in his favorite chair and looked in, right at him.
A few minutes later he was on the porch, literally nudging the handle to try and get in. Daddy stood up, in a rare surge of energy for those final days, opened the door and held his hand out. And that deer, which he'd never seen before, relaxed under his hand and let my Daddy pet him. A wild animal who, for just a few minutes, was as tame as a dog raised from a puppy. My daddy looked at him, and he looked at Daddy and Daddy simply said "I'm ready."
After eight years of fighting a disease that wouldn't leave him alone, he was ready.
After watching 3 kids and 9 grandkids come into this world, he was ready.
After coming face to face with an animal he had waited on, for years, he was ready.
Daddy sat back down in his chair as Me and my brother and sister went outside to see the Buck. He nuzzled each one of us, putting his head on our shoulder and licking our faces. The whole time, he never startled or jerked.
When we came inside Daddy said "you don't understand. That was my Daddy, come to take me home. He just wanted some time to see his grandkids after 30 years."
My daddy was more peaceful in those next few hours than I'd seem him in weeks, maybe months. And before the Deer ran away across the field my daddy brought back to life, he said "He'll be back, one more time."
Daddy died two days later, in the house his Papaw built with his own two hands and Daddy restored and called the Villa, holding the hands of his children and loving companion Nancy. When the hospice nurse came, he mentioned how many deer we had in the area. I got out the pictures of "Daddy's buck" to show him our incredible encounter. And he looked at the first picture and said "I just saw that same Buck walking a circle around this house."
He had come, one more time, to take Daddy home. It's hard to describe what it feels like to witness a miracle. But seeing my Daddy, free from fear, in the days where we said goodbye is something I'll always be grateful for.
Daddy's last trip on his motorcycle Gravey was to Iowa, to the farm and baseball field where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed. I think he knew it would be his last road trip. He took the picture you see on the prayer cards tonight, walking into the corn that surrounds the fields. In the movie, the father of Kevin Costner's character who returns to play baseball with his son one more time asks "Is this heaven?" And his son replies "It's Iowa."
"Iowa?" His father says, "I could have sworn this was heaven."
"Is there a heaven?" His son asks.
"Oh yeah." He replies. "It's the place where dreams come true."
Here's to those sweet dreams of long-awaited reunions, peaceful road trips, endless energy and that smile that none of us will ever forget.
I love you Daddy.
Wow! It’s truly amazing to see God at work. He can do incredible things, and what a comfort this was, not just to Latricia’s father as he prepared to move on from this world, but also to the whole family. And what a great reminder that, through Him, we don’t have to say “goodbye,” but rather, “see you later.”
“In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going." John 14:2-4
Now check out this amazing encounter with a wild animal!
h/t & Featured Image Credit: Facebook
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Past Stories
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
- Little Boy From England With Leukemia Delivers Over 400 Christmas Gifts To Kids At the Hospital
- Gold Star Family Receives a Big Surprise That Will Change Their Lives Forever
- 8-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Is a Hero After Saving Sister From House Fire
- Man Paralyzed At 17 While Snowboarding Has Found True Love and a Wonderful Life
- His Wife Passed Away, Now Their Special Tree is the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp 'Ready Now' Powerful Official Music Video
Mark Schultz 'Different Kind of Christmas' - Live From Mark Schultz
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
Kari Jobe Kari Jobe - First Love
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.