<TITLE>17. Par 224-239</TITLE>L-224 Now, them horns shrink about two inches when they dry up. That grizzly bear is laying in my den room, and the horns are hanging on the wall. The taxidermist had fixed them, and fixed them up. There is a tape measure hanging on them, forty-two inches, exactly.

L-225   Now, what would God tell a man something like that for, about a hunting trip?

L-226 When I got back, mother was sick. I went to see her. She said, "Billy?" See, He was encouraging me, getting me ready for something.
I said, "Mama, the Lord has always healed you."
She said, "Billy, I'm going Home to see dad."
"Oh," I said, "mom, don't talk like that."
Said, "Yes, I am." I prayed for her.
And Brother Fred and all of these witnesses setting here know.

L-227 Then, next thing you know, they had her in the hospital. The doctor didn't even know what was wrong. Well, I went out to pray for her. She said, "Son, I'm going." And now, my mother was kind of a powerful woman, anyhow.

L-228   One day, couple of days after that, I walked in. She was standing there, looking right up towards the Heavens. She said, "Billy, I see you."
I said, "Why, sure, mama." Said, "I see you right here."

L-229 She said, "Oh, you're so old, Bill," said, "your white hair and beard just hanging together. You got your arm around the cross, reaching for me." I had a good idea then, that was it.
Now, you brethren here know that to be the truth.

L-230 The next day was Sunday. I was preaching. They sent me word, "Your..." I said, "I do not believe that mother is going. God always shows me, my people going. But, mother, He's never showed me nothing about it." Here come a message in. And I was right in the middle of my Message, like this. Someone come in, said, "Go, go to your mother right now. Call her on the phone. She is dying, at this minute."

L-231 I said, "Death, hold her still. The Word of God is more important than that."

L-232   This man setting right here, Brother Borders. After the service was over, I went out to see my mother. I met Brother Borders. He said, "Brother Branham, you're not quite six foot, but I seen a ten-foot man stand in the pulpit this morning."
I said, "Brother Borders, God will take care of all that for mama."

L-233 And a few days after that, they called me out to the room, and she really was going. Gathered in the children, stood around the bed. I said, "Mama, are you really going?"
She said, "Yes." Then she couldn't speak no more.

L-234 I kept telling her, "What does Jesus mean to you, mother?" I remember baptizing her in His Name, long ago, out in the water. I said, "Tell me what He means to you now."
She said, "More than life to me."

L-235   I said, "Mama, if you're going, I'm your boy, the... a preacher. I want to know, from my own mother who is going to meet God. I want to hold your hand here, mom."
Said, "I want you to." I kept holding it.

L-236 She couldn't talk. Looked like she was paralyzing, her face. I said, "Can't you talk no more, mama?" She couldn't make... I said, "Listen. Is Jesus still just the same to you?" She could nod her head.

L-237 Then she got to a place she couldn't nod her head no more. I said, "Mother, is Jesus everything to you now? He is coming for you, in a minute. Everything, to you?" She couldn't move.

L-238 I said, "Mama, you only got one thing, to see you're batting your eyes. If Jesus still means just the same to you as He always did, the day I baptized you in the water, bat your eyes real fast." She bat her eyes, and the tears running down, like that.

L-239 And a little Wind come, sweeping into the room. Mother went Home.


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