Earth Angel-Violet St Martin Story

This is a story that needs to be told. It involves a precious lady who was in her eighties when she crossed over to assume her latest angelic, "Forever", or afterlife form.

Her widowed Earth name was Violet St.Martin. I met her some years ago, as she was finishing her testimony at a Full Gospel Businessman Fellowship International weekly lunch meeting, which was held at a Denny's in Vancouver, WA. No longer the president of that chapter, I was running late and missed the part about having died. 

Afterward, while many people waited in line to buy her books, I was talking to another businessman about my Bible study when Violet overheard me say it was in Washougal. She told the people waiting that she would be right back and came to ask me if she might attend. She also asked if I might pick her up, as she no longer drove a vehicle with which to attend.

My Bible studies were on Tuesdays, so the following morning, I picked Violet up. Once home, she made it up the front steps into my front door faster than I could as already I had a severe limp, the first signs of my developing MS. She was introducing herself to the other attendees by the time I got into the living room where I hosted the studies that were taught by a marvelous 'Gifted" former Lutheran, minister and his wife who often drove for hours to teach an enlightening, one hour long study to the small group in my home. Somehow, in their well worn, aging station wagon, they always made it...LOL The few dollars contributed to their ministry by our hand-full of attendees rarely paid for the minister's gas.

Violet seemed to enjoy our Bible study with the prayers for participants following. We were making small talk after it concluded when Violet mentioned that after she had died, at sixty some years old, that it had taken her body a long time to recover. That was the 1st that I heard of her having been raised from the dead.

"You died?" I asked.

"Oh," Violet said. "You haven't read my books?"

"No," I confessed. "But, I'll be glad to buy them when I take you home. I didn't get a chance, yesterday," I lied...

"Alright," said Violet, letting me off of my own, unnecessarily created, hook. Yet, somehow I knew that she knew better. I also wondered why I had felt that I had to justify why I hadn't purchased Violet's books.

"So, what do you remember about being dead, Violet?" I asked the question somewhat loudly in an overt attempt to draw some of the others into the conversation. They were busy leaving and none bothered to take notice.

Violet smiled, knowingly. "Nothing," she answered softly. "I was dead."

I blink my eyes. I felt like I had been setup. "So, what happened?" I asked, my respect for this, not so feeble old lady growing by the moment. "How long were you dead?"

"Three days," she replied. Then, without further prompting, Violet began sharing her story. "I had gone to visit a friend," she said. "All that I remember is having the heart attack. My friend called 911! When the paramedics arrived, I was already gone. My friend later told me that they had had administered CPR, even attempting to restart my heart with the paddles, to no avail."

"WOW!" My involuntary response gushed forth.

Unimpressed, Violet continued. "The ambulance took me into Vancouver to Providence Hospital, they call it Southwest Washington Medical Center now, where a doctor confirmed that I was indeed beyond any hope. He pronounced me dead. The hospital personal transferred me to the part where they keep the bodies until they are removed."

"Did the medical examiner check you out to find out  to confirm how you died?" I asked.

"I don't think so," violet answered. "It was pretty obvious that my cause of death was, a massive heart attack, which is not unusual for a widow in her sixties."

I nodded my head in appreciation of how thoughtful Violet was to clearly answer my naive, unnecessary question, without so much as a hint of an attempt to make me feel dumb. I did anyway, as she continued with her story.

"Well, Providence Hospital attempting to notify next of kin learned my only surviving relative was my daughter, in Alaska. They asked her where she would like my body transferred. Being rattled, my daughter told the lady who had phoned her that she would be on the next flight down to Portland, Oregon, come across the Columbia River to Vancouver, Washington, find out where my minister would suggest, and be there right away."

"But a snow storm in Alaska ground the planes. It took my daughter three days to get here, find my minister, and have him accompany her to the hospital. She was feeling guilty for not having been down to see me for quite some time, I believe."

"All of that time, my body was on a slide-out shelf in the hospital cold storage. When the attendant pulled out my remains for positive identification, the minister said a little prayer, and that's when I opened my eyes. It caused no little stir at the hospital," Violet said with a chuckle. "They were not amused."

I laughed, imagining the scene as Violet explained that she had to remain in the hospital for another week before she could be released due to the ill effects of the cold.

"The hospital attempted to explain how this could have happened, unwilling to accept how I was 'Raised from the dead,' just like Jesus, and Lazarus, who Jesus, after fours days his tomb, brought back to life too. Not everyone that God has raised from the dead was Christian. In the Old Testament, the people involved were Jews. Other religions and traditions have documented followers returning to life as well. It's not as important that, of the maybe millions of names, a person knows Him by, God is still God and it's Him who does the raising," Violet said. As her eyes twinkled, her wrinkled lips parted to allow a little laugh to slip out.

I had realized by then, that this precious old lady was anything but feeble minded. I had to ask, "Doesn't the Bible say that there is only 'One name by which we must be saved'?" I asked, " That 'Name' being Jesus?"

"Yes, but the scripture is so often misunderstood. You are talking about salvation the easy way for those of us who are Christians. God has always made it possible for His own people to be saved. The person must know that God IS, and believe that He is a re-warder of them who diligently seek Him," Violet said with a knowing smile. "I enjoyed your study today and the minister's prayers for us," she concluded, rising to have me take her home.

I only picked Violet up for a couple of more Bible studies before I learned that she had died. At the funeral home, the young man who took me to see her closed Casket had not heard of Violet's former death experience. He left me alone in the room. I said a brief prayer of thanks for having had a chance to meet Violet, and I wished that I had taken more time to get to know her better. In my mind I heard, "The life of every living creature is in its blood."

Upon arriving home, I found where I'd read that. It is (CEV) Leviticus 17:14. The scripture went on, yet this was the part that was relevant. Violet had been embalmed. I knew that neither the real she nor her blood were in that now lifeless body.

Violet had become a minister after being raised from her first death. She then had moved to Canada for several years to serve a tribe of Native American Indian after that. Her most prized possessions in her small mobile home were some pictures taken by someone that showed "Angels" around her when developed. This Earth mission complete, her Lord had called Violet home. I know that I will see her again one day.

"God never makes one of us 'Do' anything. He always allows us to 'Choose' if we will accept His assignments."

Furthermore, He's instructed me to publish this Hub.