The Last Day
by Angela Hartley

On Saturday, January 9, 1993 I awoke with a message either from a dream or vision. I told my husband that I had the strangest dream. I dreamt it was the sunniest day ever. A voice in my dream said to enjoy it; it would be the last one. So I started making plans for that day.

I had different people wanting to do things with me that day, but my heart held fast to spending the day with my mother-in-law. My husband warned me she had plans to get her car fixed, but as determined as I was, I had to see if she was home. So I dialed her phone. Sure enough she was done getting her car fixed, and she was delighted at the thought of going shopping with me that day.

I picked her up around 11:00 a.m. that morning. I think it must have been the darkest day on the face of the earth - totally opposite of the sunny day in my dream. As dark as the day was, however, we had a lovely day together even though she was overwhelmed by the darkness, and almost seemed wearied by it. I guess it got to be 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. when finally we both decided it was time to head back home.

About a quarter of a mile from her house, she asked me what that day's date was. Then she answered herself and said January 9th. She went on to say it felt like she wasn't going to see the sun again. I turned to her and said, "Francis that is so strange to hear you say that." I told her about my dream that I had that morning and how it was the most beautiful sunny day, and how a voice warned me to enjoy it because it would be my last one. She did not comment.

After we got to her house I offered to help carry her bags into the house, but she insisted to do it herself. Before she left me she was recalling what a beautiful day we had together. At that point we said our good-byes and I headed for home, happy in my heart and glad for the good day we had.

I wasn't home very long until the phone rang. It was Francis crying and very perplexed. She wanted to talk to my husband but with love and concern I had to know what was wrong. She explained her dog died. She was very upset and we told her we'd be right over. But when we got there the door was locked. We could see in the window that she laid with her head on the table and that she wasn't responding to our knocking. In a panic to get to her my husband broke the glass in the door, he called 911, the ambulance arrived and the EMTs rushed in and tried to revive her with failed attempts. It appeared to be a lost cause. My mother-in-law had died.

Then I knew the meaning of my dream. The "last day" was really her last day on earth. The sunny day in my dream represented our beautiful day spent together. I am glad that, after the events took place, God revealed to me what the dream meant. Praise Him!