January 1, 2021
The Ominous Shoe
“I’ll be right back,” I said to my friend. At nine years old, I couldn’t wait to show her a treasure I had recently acquired and excitedly skipped off into the evening air to fetch it.
Three blocks later, I entered our unlocked house where I knew no-one was at home. I dashed through the kitchen and dining room, then took two stairs at a time up to my bedroom. At the top landing, I noticed the walk-in closet door was open. My downward gaze revealed the front half of a man’s brown, wing-tip shoe against the wall by the threshold.
Somehow I was blinded to the facts that my father didn’t own such a pair of shoes, and that I had never seen that shoe before. Perhaps it was the draw of what awaited in my jewelry box that kept me from looking up to see who wore that shoe. Perhaps it was the anticipation of sharing my treasure with my friend that pushed me past this strange occurrence.
Perhaps.
I hurriedly snatched my new necklace and rushed back past the closet door. Even though the shoe was no longer there, I didn’t think twice about it, and ran back to meet my friend.
The next morning I overheard my mother tell my grandmother that when they got home the night before, there was human waste smeared all over the bathroom walls. The strange thing was, nothing had been stolen.
It was then I told Mom of what I had seen.
To this day, I shudder to think of what could have befallen me at the hands of a man so deranged to defile our home as he did.
But when I think on God’s word, I am comforted by His promise in Psalm 91:11:
“For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.” (NLT)
I don’t know how my angel worked that evening. Did he put his hand on my head to keep my eyes down? Did he gently usher me on? Did the angel reveal himself to the man in the shoe and scare him off?
What I do know is that I was protected! Praise God for loving me so much.
Electrifying Experience
I was eight years old when a summer storm of thunder, lightning, and rain hit. I watched in wonder from our laundry room window as water rushed off the roof valley, cascading in torrents on the other side of the glass pane.
All right! This was my lucky day for play.
I changed into my bathing suit and dashed outside to stand under the cool and refreshing waterfall. What a treat.
I paid no attention to an electrical wire connected to the house three feet above my head. Slathering and lathering in the foaming white buckets of water, I dawdled and dallied, relishing in the thrill of the moment.
Suddenly, I felt compelled to go indoors.
Once in the laundry room shedding my bathing suit while looking out the window, I was temporarily blinded by a flash. A bolt of lightning struck the wire where moments before I had stood.
Why had I gone into the house when I was having so much fun? Was I moved by an angel out of harm’s way?
At the time I simply considered myself lucky. Today, I know otherwise.
In Matthew 18:10 Jesus speaks of our personal angels:
“. . . For I tell you that their (children’s) angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (NIV)
In His ever amazing love for me, God has assigned angels to protect me.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord for taking such good care of me.
Thought for the Day:
Think on times you should have been harmed but came away unscathed, then rejoice at how this came about. God loves you and has commissioned angels in your behalf.
Yay, you have your very own angels!
It is always nice to hear of others tales of being protected in such an unexplained way. I too, have a few of them that I reflect on.
Now, I hope that my mother who was just admitted to the hospital with positive signs of COVID is safe in her faith. At 93 years of age, she has been missing her husband, widowed by 10 years. I just hope the Lord will keep her comfortable in her journey. I will not be able to hold her hand to ease her worry.
Thank you, Mary for your kind words needed at this time.
Kathy, I have been lifting your mother up in prayer, asking God to give her peace and comfort. Praying for the Lord to comfort you as well since you will not be able to be by your mother’s side.
Thank you Mary. A good reminder of who is in control and allows us to be shadowed by our assigned angel. How wonderful to meet this heavenly bring one day. Hugs!
Gloria, won’t that be something when we meet our angel(s)? And even more amazing when we come before our Father and Lord Jesus Christ in our new heavenly bodies!
I am so grateful you were not harmed! I think we are often protected when we are not aware. Today, by God’s grace, it was my dog whom God kept safe. She went on a jaunt through the woods, brush, and a large, frozen slough. I had asked God to help me find her, but could only see her endless tracks marring the powdery snow as I struggled to follow after. At one point after more than an hour, I could smell snowmobile fuel and felt led to head away from her tracks. I found the road, and, after a car went whizzing by me, saw my beloved dog sitting on the road. At first I was worried she had been hit, because she didn’t get up. I was overjoyed when she finally rose to her feet and trotted up to me, unscathed, save a few pine needles in her fur and balls of ice between her pads. THANK YOU LORD!!!! : )
Thank you, Sharon. Praise the Lord for His protection over your dog! Thanks for sharing this with me.
Its a good reminder of just how many times we have been protected. Sometimes we didnt even realize it
Won’t it be wonderful if when we get to heaven we might get an opportunity to see how many times we were protected on earth?
Thanks Mary, I’ve never heard these stories of yours. Yes, I’ve had a number myself. Maybe sometime I’ll actually write them down.
Linda, yes, please write down your angel stories to share with all of us.
I can think of many times God has protected me. There is no other explanation.
You are right, Marlyss, there is no other explanation for the unexplainable.
Thanks for sharing your stories Mary! I definitely have my angel stories too, and as a matter of fact, if it had not been for my angel I doubt that I would even be alive today! I thank God for giving His angels charge over us to care for us.❤️
I would love to hear your angel stories. I’m glad your angels have kept you around on earth!
Your childhood delight is palpable from your stories! And I am grateful you have been spared… he saw how much others would be needing your guidance and support. Thank you!
Christina, regarding your comment, “He saw how much others would be needing your guidance and support.” . . . When I got my Master’s Degree in Counseling, I heard, “I will be sending you wounded lambs.” Indeed He did!