September, 2024 – Angels Unawares (??)

There have been many, many books written concerning angels.  I am not writing to add to any of those, but rather perhaps from personal experiences.  I know the Scripture says in Psalm 91.11 that “He (God) will give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.”  And that, I could write a book about – the times I have sensed a divine presence when I have needed it the most – that our loving God protected me as only He could.  I’m thinking particularly of being dumped off a van several years ago in the middle of the night in a remote place in Romania waiting for close to an hour while expecting friends to come pick me up.

Never was Isaiah 26.3 more real to me – “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!”  An older version says, ‘whose minds are ‘stayed’ on You’’.  Trust me my mind was ‘stayed’ on my Almighty God!!  From being ‘alone’ during the wait to the potentially very dangerous situation with big rigs passing me on the narrow country road — as a result of looking up at the starry skies and crying out, “You are not just out there, You are (pointing to my heart) in here, God — gave me a peace that only He could give!  Perhaps He had sent ministering angels to me.

And then there was the time, I was all alone in No-Man’s land, an area between Romania and the Rep. of Moldova, and once again, in the middle of the night where we were all forced off the bus, made to remove our own luggage from under the bus, and then wait to be interrogated.  I remember thinking that not one person I knew in this world, not one loved one knew where I was or what my circumstance was.  But, once again, it was as if I could sense supernatural beings around me bringing me a peace, and telling me that I would be okay.

More recently I had an unusual encounter that really made me think about Hebrews 13.2 – “Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” – or the KJV uses the term ‘angels unawares’.   It was just days before I needed to leave the country for Romania this past July.  I had some Love From Above business to take care of with the manager of the bank.  I was told I would have a fifteen to twenty-minute wait.  It ended up being nearly two hours!  After standing for a half hour, I finally asked a fellow greeting customers/clients outside the ‘kiosk’ type bank in my supermarket if he had a chair I could sit in.  He was more than accommodating.  The area where I was sitting was in a rather small alcove where people grocery shopping were passing in front of me, and where one could nod pleasantly to those who were also waiting.

If I remember correctly, there was a young woman very casually (like nearly beach-casually) dressed no more than six or seven feet in front of me, a man and his wife to my right, and two ladies somewhere in between the ones I mentioned.  We were all on our phones glancing up once in awhile and wondering, I’m sure, when on earth would we be waited on.   And then, seemingly out of nowhere, and seemingly all by himself, the most beautiful, well dressed little African-American boy about three and a half years old walked, walked, walked – purposefully walked right up to me!  Not only that, but he also reached up to put his arms around me, and put his little knee up on mine to crawl up on my lap.  I bent towards him, took his little face in my hands, looked in his eyes and said, “I love you”.  He said in such a sweet little voice, and staring into my eyes, “I love you, too”, and laid his head on my chest.  I was astounded, so moved, and feeling so many more emotions that this little boy would do that.  And then I saw a lovely looking African-American woman come calling to the boy.  The little tyke hugged me once more and then ran to the lady dressed in a most beautiful native African kaftan (or boubou?) and head-dress.  I assumed she was his mother and they were off, but not before he glanced back at me and said, “I love you” once more.  It was quite the experience – one I’ll never forget!

But, here is where I go back to my original topic on ‘angel unawares’!  I was thinking in my mind that this little one had to be an angel.  Who else would come to me with such love – a stranger and in a strange place looking like an angel, than an angel?!  In my mind I thought, “Lord, for whatever reason, You have just sent an angel to me”.  My heart was full of wonder!  And then, suddenly, I heard the young woman across from me (in the beach-y garb) quietly say, “You must be an angel” . . .   I looked up at her and she repeated, “I think you must be an angel with that little boy’s coming to you and his response to you”.  I looked at the other people standing waiting for their turn with the bank manager, and they were just smiling in obvious sweet surprise.  In a few minutes, a woman whom I could not even see being waited on, came out of the small bank office just beaming and said, “I saw all of that!  Amazing!”

Well, this can easily be cleared up.  Who was the angel?  Since I know I am not an angel, then, for sure, it was that precious little one who definitely had to be the angel.  I’ve wondered why the Lord would send him to me.  I just know that in that long period of time to be waited on, not only was my heart encouraged, but it was as if the Lord had, also, given the sweetest gift to everyone around who witnessed the whole scene.  Really!  I mean – did I encounter an ‘angel unawares’ waiting in a bank in a supermarket in N. Attleboro, MA on a hot afternoon in July . . . ??