I Was 'Touched' By The Holy Spirit After A Relative's Death

In the wake of Easter, I can't help but think about a supernatural experience I had with the Holy Spirit as a pallbearer bringing my Grand-Aunt's body to her final resting place.

My grandmother passed away when I was very young but my Grand-Aunt filled that grandmother void for me. When I think about her, the first thing that comes to mind is the sound of her infectious laugh which seemed like she could always find laughter in every situation.

I would typically see her during the holidays and I could see her decline in health with every passing year but her laugh and smile remained. However, everything changed when I received a call telling me she was being brought home and she may only have days left to live.

The next day I drove 3 hours to see her but she was sedated. As I waited hours for her to wake, the reality of the limitation of her time left with us slowly seeped into my mind for the first time.

After hours of waiting, I heard cries of agonizing pain coming from her bedroom: There was no smile, there was no laughter. I tried talking to her but she wasn't acknowledging anything I was saying due to her suffering.

The next day my cousin called me to tell me she passed away and I broke down. For days I cried, missing work and isolating myself while mourning her loss. The day of her funeral, I was still just as sad but I tried my best to keep the tears from flowing down my face.

The moment came for me to help bring her body to her final resting place and as I put her casket down, I felt something that I cannot fully describe. I didn't hear a voice but it was like something told me with certainty that she was fine.

All the grief I had was gone in a second because I was touched by something filled with love and assurance. I've heard people talk about encounters with the spiritual realm and how all of their senses were stimulated with knowledge instantly: that's what it felt like for me.

I've thought about this for years and I believe I was touched by the Holy Spirit. He wanted me to know that she's no longer suffering because she's now with our Father. From that moment, I stopped crying and all of my sadness was suddenly gone.

Before her funeral, I had already decided I was going to go home and mourn alone but God's gift allowed me to stay with my family and celebrate her life together with them.

What's even more miraculous about this experience was that at the time I wasn't a believer. I was religiously agnostic, lacked faith in Jesus Christ, and was unsure of God's existence. My life was ruled by doubt and that doubt transferred into an almighty's existence.

But my rational mind could not explain what I felt outside of the context of a greater being's presence. Very few people know about this experience because I didn't want people to minimize such a profound experience or say that it was some sort of rapid onset death acceptance.

I believe this experience of being "touched" was one of many stepping stones that brought me closer to God and accepting that there is something greater than myself.

I cannot come close to fully explaining the feeling of overwhelming goodness and a telepathic message of my loved one making it to see our Father in Heaven.

I still miss her but I know she's fine and no longer in pain.