Robert Lloyd Johnson

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Enid L Ruzicka on November 17, 2008:

Many years ago when the Oprah Winfrey show had just come out, Dad and I were sitting in my aunt's kitchen. The TV. was on and several people were sharing their near death experiences. They were speaking of a bright light, hovering over their dying bodies and of their irresistible urge to follow the light. We were talking and I didn't think dad was paying all that much attention to the stories. He never really watched much TV ....... called it all "hogwash". He became very quiet and mesmerized by the accounts these people were sharing. "Well I'll be darned", he said and then silence. My interrogation began. Dad never talked much about his Korean War experience and if he did it was because we pulled it out of him piece by piece. What I got him to share with me has forever changed my life. He told me that he had had a similar experience to what Oprah's guests were claiming. He had never shared it with anyone and dismissed it as a dream or a delusion. He had been severely wounded and had waited many hours for medical attention after being triaged to the "wait" list. All the sudden he said he had the sensation of floating up over his body. He could see himself lying on the stretcher with medic's scattering all around. He became consumed with a very bright light beckoning him. He described the light crossing over a river and focusing on what he said he knew to be Jesus. He said there was a multitude of colors, hues that he had never seen before and while Jesus was not what we would recognize as a human form, he just knew it was him. He felt a compelling gravity to the light and wanted nothing but to follow it, but he said that Jesus conveyed unquestionably to him that he must go back. His work was not finished here on earth. His story made a tremendous impact on me. For one it enforced my faith in the Lord. For another it was the confirmation I needed to know that there is indeed an eternal life. He never spoke of this again and as far as I know not to anyone else. The night he passed on to his eternal life, my mother, sister, brothers, and Dad's sister were all blessed to be with him till the end. He was no longer verbal but did respond with all sorts of "yeas" with all different inflections. I reminded him of what he had shared with me so many years ago. I told him that this time when he saw the light he needed to go to it. My sister told him that he had finished his job and done a tremendous job. We told him he had been the best father anyone had ever had. We told him we would take care of Mom. We told him all the people he would see and named them. We told him it was his time to be with Jesus now. He grew a slow smile and said "Yea". We were/are blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful man for so many years. Because of him, I can now rest assured that when I see the light I too will go home to my Lord and Savior and I'll also get to see Dad again......this time with two legs.

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