Are ghosts real? Before I share my sister-in-law Auttie Johnson’s ghostly experience, let’s see what Scriptures say about ghosts….

In Mark 6:45 it says after they fed the 5,000 who gathered to listen to Him speak, he told his disciples to get in a boat as He was sending the people on home. Then Jesus left for the mountain to pray. The disciples had time to get on out into the sea, when Jesus was going to join them. And Jesus, who was God’s son, began walking on the water to be with them. It was beginning to get dark as a storm was approaching ,and Jesus saw the disciples straining on the oars to keep the boat steady. He began walking to them on the water, but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought He was a ghost and cried out. Then, He immediately spoke to them saying ’Take courage, It is I, do not be afraid,’ (verse 50). Jesus got in the boat with them, the storm calmed, and ’they were astonished,’ (verse 50).

After Jesus was resurrected from the dead, Mary Magdalene, Mary,( Jesus’ mother), Joanna, and other women found his tomb empty. The women told the apostles what they had seen but they didn’t believe them. In Luke 24, it tells of several appearances Jesus made in which was scaring many because it took some time for them to realize that Jesus was really alive now. Each time they first thought they were seeing a spirit or a ghost. it is worth Googling ‘ghost in the Bible to understand the difference in a ghost and the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. Holy Ghost refers to one of the Trinity (The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) and Deuteronomy 18:9-12 tells us not to seek guidance from mediums or familiar spirits whose practices include convincing people who have lost loved ones to pay them to connect to their loved ones’ spirits or ghosts. This witchcraft is big business in the world because of those who refuse to believe in what the Bible says.

From the way scary movies depict ghosts, one’s imagination can get carried away. They are celebrating demonic activities. It is awful how people allow young children to watch scary stories. Children trust older people to have their best interests at heart.

My guidelines of what movies I’d watch align with qualities expressed from the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23). I wish to add a sense of humor to those qualities since laughter is said to be like a good medicine.

So, now I conclude with Auttie’s story: 12-Year-Old Ghost As a twelve-year-old, I thought ghosts really did exist. One night while I was getting ready for bed. I could have sworn I was seeing a ghost moving across the yard.

It was a clear, starry, spring night, with crickets and locusts chirping and whirring outside my window—which was raised to welcome the breeze.

Suddenly, i heard a clomp, clomp, clomp. Being the curious child I was, I got out of bed and opened the kitchen door to see what could be out there.

The clomp, clomp, clomping continued as I strained my eyes to look across the pasture that was part of our back yard. In the distance, I could see a pale white form slowly making its way toward the house.

My heart pounded as I hurriedly closed and locked the door. I ran to my bedroom and slammed the window down. Even though the night was warm, I pulled the cover up over my head and shook with fright.

My fear deepened as I heard the clomp, clomp, clomping getting nearer and nearer my window. I fought against waking my parents in the next room, but I wondered what kind of creature could be lurking outside! The clomp, clomp, clomping was just outside my window now. Peeking from underneath the covers, I could see the white figure slowly moving nearer, nearer to my window. Even though shaking with fear, I bravely pulled myself out of bed toward the window to see exactly what was out there.

I laughed in relief as my ghost became real. This clomp, clomp, clomping white figure was my father’s old, white horse with one of its feet caught in an old beat up aluminum bucket!!!

Note: Thank you, Auttie Johnson, for allowing me to share your story which was first published in a literary magazine at Seminole State College in 1991. (I added very few revisions). Have a great week and bless someone!