It was April 24, 2015. I had been looking forward to April of 2015 for two years. I had surrendered all to Jesus in April of 1995. After my “Damascus Road” experience, I had people taunt me with, “We will see how “on fire” you are 6 months from now”. April represented my 20th anniversary of walking through the “Garden of my Life” with Jesus! Wow. In my naivete, I had forgotten that someone else had plans to send my way for April 2015.
It was June 1997, my son Matthew was 9 years old, and we were at the little United Methodist Church we attended in Tallahassee, Florida. The minister had just issued an invitation for those who wanted to invite Jesus into their hearts, Matthew stepped forward and went to the alter. My heart swelled! How could I have ever known how important that day was to what was going to happen in just 18 short years.
April 24, 2015, was a Friday. I have a high-pressured job and at any moment, I could have 6 balls in the air juggling to keep them in just the right place. But that day was a Friday and I had plans for a quiet day in the office getting caught up with some intake review and discovery demands. A lawyer called from Tallahassee to discuss his client’s case. I had known the lawyer for 28 years and we talked in that gentle cadence of old acquaintances eventually arriving on his purpose for the call with parameters set forth and possible solutions. Little did I know that time had already slowed, and each event was being indelibly imprinted on my mind.
At about 10 am, my State Attorney’s assistant came by my office to let me know that Jim Flournoy from FDLE was coming by to speak with me in a few minutes. I thought to myself, that is odd. Jim has my cell number, why would the State Attorney’s assistant come to tell me that? Then within a few minutes, she came back to tell me that Jim was waiting for me in the conference room.
Now, my stomach did a flip flop. I walked to the conference room past the State Attorney’s assistant’s office, and I could see her through a glass partition intensely watching me. I knew that nothing was right. I had entered into a tilted world. Had I done something wrong? Had I stepped on the proverbial “land mine” and was I about to be interviewed by two FDLE agents over some case I had handled?
Opening the closed door, I found Jim Flournoy on the opposite side of the conference table and to my right Fabray Wiggins, my Victim/Witness coordinator and to my left Eddie Black, my investigator. I sat down at the seat before me, and Jim began to say how much he had always appreciated my faith. I interrupted him and asked, “Jimbo, what is going on?” Jim then told me that at 6:30 am that morning, my 27-year-old son, Matthew, had lost control of his car on the way to work and had hit a concrete pole killing him instantly. He had been married just six weeks before. At the very moment that Matthew was dying, my wife Mary and I were saying our morning prayers. I had no indication and no inkling that anything was wrong. I had no warning, no anxious feeling, nothing.
I wish I could say that I handled this situation with faith. No, I crumbled to the floor holding my heart and crying out to Jesus “No Lord, this is too heavy a cross for me to carry!” But, just as Simon of Cyrene was chosen to help carry our Lord’s Cross, so people began to surround us with the Love of God and to help carry our cross.
That night was the longest night of my life. I finally fell asleep exhausted from crying. I had the spirit of death all over me. The next morning, I cried out to Jesus, “Please show me that Matthew is alright.” The Lord then blew through my memory nine-year-old Matthew walking the aisle and inviting Jesus into his heart. The Lord then spoke to my heart, “Do you believe that Matthew’s name was written in the Book of Life?” “Yes Lord!” I replied. “And it was not removed!” Jesus replied. Suddenly, I was washed with the Presence of The Holy Spirit. Gone was the spirit of death. The Peace of God filled me with comfort and confirmation that Matthew was in Heaven. I would see him again. Matthew was alright!
Words cannot express how eternally grateful we will always be for all that you did to help during our time of loss. You showed us the Love of God through every hug, every phone call, every card and every prayer. Without your love, we would not have been able to make it! You were faithful to follow your heart and it brought life to us.
In the Fall of 2019, I was led by the Holy Spirit over a period of 90 consecutive days on a remarkable journey to Heaven. In June of 2022, I published “Visiting Matthew”. I titled it “Visiting Matthew” because I felt like that is exactly what I did for those 90 Glorious days visiting Matthew in Heaven.
Now, hundreds and perhaps even thousands have read “Visiting Matthew” and have walked with me and Matthew through the profound beauty of Heaven’s Glory! My son is not dead but lives! His death has brought life to countless souls and will continue to do so even unto the coming of our Lord.
Perhaps you wonder why I write this tribute each year on the anniversary of Matthew’s homecoming. I do it for you. That you might remember that you have a tremendous impact on all the lives you touch. We will never forget how Jesus used each and every one of you to remind us that we were loved and that we were not alone. In the final analysis, we are here to Love God and to Love each other. That is what you did for us during the worst days of our lives. Heaven shall never forget all that you did, and we will not either.
We love you!
Dean and Mary Morphonios