A JOURNEY BEYOND THE STARS
As experienced and related by Liston Bateson ND (retired),
New Zealand
A poignant revelation of a personal, inspiring, spiritual experience.
The 24th April 1964 was a date the Little Man would never forget. It was remarkable for one particular reason only. His attitude and approach to everything in his life from that day onwards would be totally different to that of the past. He had a new appreciation of life and concept of reality. His vision was enhanced for he had returned from beyond the edge of the visible horizon, he had returned from beyond the Stars.
He remembered being flat on his back in a hospital bed when he opened his eyes. He saw before him an object of the most exhilarating beauty. It seemed to mesmerize him in a tantalising manner, as the sun beams bounced over its petals.
Only a rose…but what a rose! He closed his eyes for a moment as the brilliance of the light emanating from the petals dazzled him. He opened them again, frightened to miss the moment. How grateful he was to see earthy life again in any form. What a privilege to be alive!
Beyond the red rose was an open window, framing an old oak tree bedecked with a multitude of glorious autumn leaves, all competing with one another in their gentle hues for his hungry attention. "Dear God", he thought, "How grateful I am to be back, to have successfully returned from such an incredible journey".
Back in the 60's and earlier, not many spoke about such experiences. Later people would discuss such things much more openly, although not many came back to tell the tale. It had been a very deep and moving moment, which the Little Man not only held as sacred in his inner most being, but found difficult to verbalise. He later only discussed it when pressed and only when with close friends on sombre occasions.
It had all started some years previously. As a young man, during a practice round in a boxing ring, the Little Man had received a severe blow beneath his belt from his sparring partner. He had been badly winded and it was later diagnosed that the diaphragm beneath his heart had been torn.
Thereafter for years he had suffered great discomfort which eventually necessitated surgery to have the damage repaired. A zealous friend who was also a student surgeon undertook the task. Being young and adventurous he overestimated his capabilities with unfortunate results. The Little Man suffered the consequences and the die was cast for him to undergo his journey beyond the Stars.
It was literally the dead of night. The pain had been dreadful but now...the Little Man was suddenly aware he was dying.
He could not feel his feet, then his legs. His fingers and hands seemed to "melt". Panic and a touch of fear enveloped him. The worst was the loneliness. It was total isolation with so many people right next to him, but no one knew. He could still move his eyelids. What help was that?
He wanted to tell someone. A life was coming to an end, a chapter closed. No one knew about it! His arms were fastened with tubes dripping into him, another one down his nose. A human face before him would bring so much relief, so much comfort...just someone to know he wanted to say "Goodbye". He saw the drip - drip, drip down the tube into his arm…stop! The 'dead' feeling enveloped him and for a few seconds all around was dark. The loneliness was profound.
Then he was set free. Free of all the pain and anguish, free of all the loneliness, He found himself capable of movement in a strangely unfamiliar way. He seemed to move without walking, without putting one leg in front of the other. There was no conscious message to his limbs to respond. Almost as though he willed himself to be "there". He was gracefully floating through a shaft without sides in an all embracing light. He felt immensely comforted in that Light, as if all his worldly strivings had been in vain. He felt totally protected and provided for as he floated, in the Light. He was aware of every molecule and cell in his body being saturated with the Light and being revitalised as never before.
It was the most wonderful and joyous moment of his life. Love absolute and knowledge infinite flowed through him.
Before him appeared a Being whom he recognized as the Christ!
How does one attempt to describe such a meeting? The comforting Divine Light emanated from Him!
The Little Man could not look up at Him, because the Light was overwhelming. Here he was being met by One who was not just a king, but far greater than a King of Kings. In this sacred moment the Little Man was aware of his utter unworthiness to be accorded such an honour. How grateful and humbled he was. No false pomp and ceremony here, no disrespectful familiarity, no noisy commotion, he was on holy ground!
What a blessing to know he was acknowledged and accepted.
Beyond the majesty of Christ the King, he saw a beautiful city of light. The intensity and exhilaration of the moment filled him and thrust him forward to a state of unadulterated bliss. A group of friendly welcoming faces surrounded him. A grandmother, a grandfather, old loving friends all sharing his joy, waiting patiently to greet and embrace him.
The Little Man at the moment of the greatest joy in his existence paused. It was almost too much for him to bear to be so richly blessed. Behind him he was leaving a disastrous marriage and a beloved little daughter. Who would be there to care for her? He had tried his best and failed. His energy had been exhausted.
He had given up seeking answers to all those perplexing problems which had dogged him. He remembered others who were in desperate straits, "oh Lord help them, please!"
In that instance he was confronted with the knowledge that he was the product of all his earthly endeavours and that the application of his energies need not have been in vain if he channeled them in the right way. He turned to the golden Love Light. Could he not be given another chance? With the awareness of that Love, and the wisdom flowing through him now, nothing was impossible.
Far below him he saw a nurse walking past his bed. She stopped a few paces beyond it and paused. Turning around she shone her torch on the grey face on the pillow and walked over for a closer look, lifting an eyelid and grasping a cold hand. She rushed off to raise the alarm. What seemed like seconds later, as the Little Man watched, a group of doctors and nurses arrived to start emergency treatment on the still body.
A vastly changed Little Man left that hospital ten days later. He was a new being still feeling exhilarated by the Divine Love Light and enthralled by a new concept and understanding of the life which had been returned to him, irrevocably different. Life was now very precious to him, death as he had understood it no longer existed and he was anxious to apply his newly given wisdom in solving all his previous difficulties.
In the years that followed the Little Man had stood at the bedside of many of those who were setting out, charting a path into unknown realms beyond the Stars. His was the last comforting face visible before meeting the real Comforter. He was able to assure them of the greatest moment in Life, that it was not the worst as many feared.
The Little Man realized that he had not only learned the theory of some of the wonderful laws of infinity that he had read about in the Good Book, but had practical experience of them as well. One of these laws concerned genuine love, a scarce commodity in today's world. The more he gave it away, the more it seemed to grow, fulfilling the age old biblical adage that it is "a greater gift to give than to receive".
This particular law brought him much happiness although his attitude appeared to be the height of folly to some. With wisdom he learned not to dispense indiscriminately "pearls before swine," but concentrate on those who were seeking spiritual growth and enrichment.
Some to whom he narrated his experience kept an open mind, others were jealous while some secretly admired him. Some tried to convince him that what he had experienced was just an illusion, or that he had submitted himself to some demonic influence. Heaven and dying were nothing like that! Their text books told quite another story.
The Little Man would smile quietly to himself thinking that a lot of people would be in for quite a few surprises! Just as a blind man could never adequately describe the beauty of a rose to someone who had just returned from a journey beyond the Stars, others could only speak in total ignorance. Not only had the Little Man consciously been "there" and super-consciously aware of every moment, it would forever remain vividly engraved upon his soul. Not one dot on one “i” or the cross on one “t” would be forgotten nor one hair on his head ever lost. He knew a record was kept of everything, as well as the reason for the record.
He had a Savior, Christ the Lord who would forever be with him no matter what the depth of his suffering would be, he would be more than a Conquer in Christ. Never again would he ever imagine that he was alone, or lost, or that his life's sacrifices had been wasted. Old friends would remain close, never further than that journey away.
He did not have to believe anymore because he simply knew...he had seen and experienced the TRUTH. He was a very wealthy man in the things that really counted. And he was quietly content.
"O Death where is thy sting? Oh Grave where is thy victory?" 1Cor.15: 55
He appreciated these words with real understanding. Both Death and the Grave had been conquered for ever and neither held any mystery or fear for him in the least. They existed only for those who feared the unknown.
The Little Man can vouch for the truth expressed in this narration, because he is the author thereof and wants to share it with as many who will be strengthened by it, and so become more than conquerors on their own "journeys beyond the Stars."
Reproduced by permission
Stella Paterson | Box 22003 BDPO | Brandon, MB R7A 6Y9 | Canada