I Lost A Big Portion Of My Father's Inheritance When I Went Through With My Divorce

My Father threatened me that if I went through with my divorce he would not be able to leave property, etc. to me in his will when he died. He said something to the effect "I cannot leave this to you since you will no longer be a family nucleus (husband, wife, children.) He even sent me on a pilgrimage to Medjugore to change my mind about the divorce. I was actually scheduled to go on a trip to Israel at first and it fell through. He felt bad about that so he sent me to this destination and he added on a few days in Rome. This was the very trip that just confirmed that I was going to go through with the divorce when I got back home.

I packed a sweatshirt with the Vermilion logo on it. The day I was leaving to head back home the Holy Spirit prompted me to wear it on the flight back home. I did. I was in the Rome airport waiting to get on the plane and a woman approached me just because of the logo on the sweatshirt. We struck up a conversation and she ministered to me about 45 minutes on the plane. Let me include my journal writing for that day, 11-17-94:

"I am sitting at the airport waiting to board the plane for home and a beautiful woman recognized my V sweatshirt and we struck up a conversation. She is most spiritual like myself (you did tell me that I would meet someone on this trip from that area just by wearing the sweatshirt.) You placed her into my life to speak with me and give me comfort for I know that there will be much sorrow and pain awaiting me at home. You sent me on this journey as a rest before the storm."

I was teamed up with a woman from the Philippine's as my roommate on this pilgrimage. I am going to incorporate my writing on 11-12-94 in reference to her. I have been to Yugoslavia before and I was intrigued with a city called Mostar in which people dive off of a bridge into the water there and I kept being drawn to going back there on this trip. This is what happened... "I am most thankful for my dear roommate Laura, she is most wise. I had a very strong desire to go to Mostar all week long. She told me just the other day 'No don't go what if I was somewhere there and something happened, my family would be without me.' she was right. Yesterday I was listening to Croatian radio and I heard the word "Mostar" during the news. I asked the tour guide this morning if something happened there. Someone set off a grenade by the Franciscan monastery, children, beautiful children were there for catechism classes. One child was killed there and another two children were taken to the hospital and died later. God bless their souls their sweet innocent souls. They were there learning of Christ and His love. Their poor families what an incredible loss, a heaviness in their hearts. Be with them all and let peace come to these beautiful, giving, loving people of this country. They give so much of themselves. And this I pray." I forgot to mention this, I was there during the Bosnian War. Even though the country was war torn I never ever felt scared. I met many wives, daughters, nieces of soldiers that were away from home fighting in the war. They would run the gift shops and businesses while their loved ones were away at war. People laughed at me when I began to start collecting and saving my Estee Lauder cosmetic samples to take on this trip to give away to the women. They would say to me things like "They are in a war why would you bring to them makeup?" Guess what, every sample that I gave to the women was greatly received by them. I wanted to just bless them and they would not let me leave their shop without blessing me. I would say no to them and they would tell me they wanted to give me something back. I didn't want to insult them so I accepted their gifts. God loves to bless His people if they would just be open to giving to others.



Back to my inheritance. My Father made good on his threat. When he died all that was suppose to go to me prior to my divorce he re-directed to my two uncles and a cousin. If I remember correctly it was a very nice condo in Bratenahl along with two boat slips at the Shoreby Club along with a few condos in downtown Cleveland. I came across a scripture in the bible and on occasion I remind the Lord that this scripture pertains to my sister and myself and I expect what was taken from us to come back to us even if it is in another form than the original property that was taken from me.
Numbers 27:8-11 "Tell the Israelites: If a man dies and leaves no sons, turn his property over to his daughters. If he has no daughters, give his property to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his property to his uncle's on his father's side of the family. If he has no uncles, give his property to the nearest relative in his family, and that relative will take possession of it."
My Father had a generous heart to others. He bequeathed rental properties to a few of his tenants, and to a girlfriend and her parents. My Father would always say that he was going to leave money to the church when he died. He was very generous to different areas of the Catholic Church. I never begrudged them for receiving money he wanted to leave to them. Actually, when my sister and I contested the will there was a charitable organization that was willing to give up some portion of their inheritance to allow us to settle. It was done under the pretense that they were not revealed to us. I want to publicly thank that organization.

There is a really good ending to this story. I will now include my writing about how I testified at my Father's funeral mass and offered salvation to the people that attended and he himself received salvation 3 weeks before he died.

Dad’s Funeral Mass, October 6, 1999, he died October 3, 1999

Since my sister and I were not practicing Catholics when my Father went to be with the Lord we were only able to select the Scriptures to be read at his funeral mass, we were not allowed to read them at the mass. I was allowed to speak to the people about my Fathers faith. When I went onto the altar, If I remember correctly, there were seven or eight priests and a deacon or two. I was the only woman on the altar. I asked the Holy Spirit to speak through me. I actually wrote the words in advance and read them to the people.

My Father was a man that had faith and I’d like to share with you a bit of this faith.
On Tuesday, September 21, 1999, I went to the hospitals Intensive Care Unit at Euclid General Hospital with my bible. My Father was sleeping a lot. He was restless the night before.
I prayed silently while I was there. As I was praying, the Holy Spirit directed me to the blessing in Numbers 6: 24-26. I then got up from my chair and I placed my hand upon my Fathers left hand and I spoke the blessing out loud- That as Moses prayed over the people I pray over you Dad. “Dad the Lord bless you and keep you, Dad the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. Dad the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”
As I sat in the chair, before a priest came in the room the Lord directed me to read Psalms 3. The bible was open as the priest walked in the room. He commented that I was reading the word and I shared with him that it's the only word and it's my strength. Father went to my Father and prayed for him. I joined Father at the bed and prayed with him. I prayed that peace and rest come to Dad, only a peace that comes from God placing His arms around him.
There was no coincidence that the Lord started me with praying a blessing over my father and as the day continued, Psalm 3, for Psalm 3’s ending verse is this, “Salvation belongs to the Lord, your blessing is upon your people.”
When I read that, I thought it was a confirmation to me that I heard and obeyed the Lord when He told me to speak a blessing over my father.
Many times, I am naïve like a child; I only understood the part that spoke of the blessing upon your people. How the Lord always has a better plan far greater than we could ever imagine. As I look back on this, the Lord was preparing me to let me know that salvation would also be for my father.
I went to the hospital the next day and I worked on a banner that I was making while I was waiting for my father to come back from a procedure that they were performing on him.
He came back to his room at 12 noon. It was 12:15 pm when I went to his bed and told him I was there and that I loved him and Jesus loved him.
My father then said “FIND ME JESUS.” I then repeated back to him what he just said and I asked him if he just said it. He nodded his head yes and the Holy Spirit directed me to have my father speak these words, “Jesus be in my heart.” He spoke the words and then I told him to have Jesus “forgive my sins.”
I sat down by his bedside and at 12:30 pm, the Holy Spirit had me speak aloud these words, “Dad when you asked Jesus into your heart today at 12:15 pm on September 22, your name was recorded into the Lamb’s Book of Life and all of the angels in heaven rejoiced when you gave your life to Jesus.”
There is more to this testimony, one year ago to the very date, September 22, 1998, my brother dropped dead on a sidewalk on E. 185th Street. As I came to the hospital, I drove past where he died, at the end of E. 185th Street sits the hospital where my father received life in Jesus Hallelujah.
Thank you Lord you knew all along the day and time and how he would accept Jesus. You tried to prepare me the day before with Psalm 3:8 “Salvation belongs to the Lord.”
After my father did this, there was a time that he kept calling out the name of Jesus and said, “I hope Kimberly is right.” I then re-assured him that the Bible states that whoever calls upon the name of Jesus shall be saved.
If your heart is stirred with what I just shared with you, in a moment of silence I extend an invite to you to ask Jesus into your heart……………………………………………… I paused for a moment and then spoke these words, “Holy Spirit seal the words that were spoken into the hearts of the people that asked Jesus into their hearts. Amen.”

A side note: There is more to this story. The day or two before my father went to be with the Lord I struck up a brief friendship with an elderly woman across the hall from my Father’s room. I proceeded to pray and speak the blessing over her life from Psalm 3. As the family was sitting around my fathers lifeless body (in the natural) waiting for my sister to arrive. The Holy Spirit directed me to go across the hall to Frieda’s room it was now her time to receive salvation. She spoke the prayer of salvation. Even in my father’s death, there was eternal life that flowed forth that very day. I believe in my heart that the Holy Spirit set that up so my father could now truly experience the rejoicing in heaven of a person giving their heart to the Lord, because that is exactly where he was now.

If anything that I shared with you today has touched your heart, I now offer that same opportunity to you to invite Jesus into your heart. Romans 10:9 states "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Admit you are a sinner. Be willing to turn from sin. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried and rose from the dead. Through prayer, invite Jesus into your heart and your life to become your personal Saviour.
Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus I am a sinner, forgive my sin. I believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, died on the cross and rose from the dead. He shed his blood and died for me and for my sin. Cleanse me of my sin and cover it with your precious blood that you shed for me. Come into my heart and be the lord of my life. I am willing to turn from my sin and allow you to be the Lord of my Life.
If you prayed this prayer share this great news with someone and let them know you prayed a prayer of salvation and that you asked Jesus into you heart and life. Your life will never be the same (in a good sense.) Remember, the moment you said that prayer all of the angels in heaven rejoiced over you. When you think of that it is pretty amazing isn't it? I now pray the same prayer over you that I pray when I pray with someone in person to receive salvation. "Holy Spirit seal the words upon their heart that were spoken when they prayed for salvation."