I BELIEVE IN ANGELS

BY: CHARLOTTE BEARD

     The first time I met an angel, I was nine years old.  At the time, I didn't know he was an angel, but I soon had my first lesson.

     Matthew 18:10 says, See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

     My mom, three sisters and I were trying to get to Greenville, Ark. from Providence, Ky.  Road trips in those days weren't that exciting.  No video games or DVD players for the car. We were heading to my grandparents for a two week vacation like we did most summers.

     Mom was driving a 1970's model Malibu.  It was either white or yellow.  We had both because my daddy would later take parts from one to fix the other.  That's how I know the color.  We'll, you're probably thinking we got lost.  Your right, we did.  Often mom wasn't very good at directions or reading a map.  This trip started down the road to my favorite aunt’s house-(she lived there too).  The car all of a sudden just stopped.  So there we were on the side of the road.  It wasn't just any parkway or interstate with truck stops and restrooms.  It was a plain old highway with fields on both sides, up ahead and behind us.

     It was really late, after midnight or so.  Mom and my older sister were trying to figure out what we were going to do.  A long time went by.  I begged to get out of the car.  There were lightning bugs everywhere and they wanted me to catch them.  I was a very adventurous kid.

    Mom and my sister were still trying to figure out what to do.  It was very late.  The dew was already on the ground and I remember getting wet and in trouble.  Since cell phones weren't invented yet and GPS systems and road side service weren't available either, we just had to wait.  No lights from anywhere could be seen.  My younger sisters were asleep in the back seat (they always hogged the back seat), so I laid down in the floorboard looking up at the sky. 

     Then I heard my mom talking to someone.  I get out and a small man in a white jumpsuit and driving a white truck had stopped and was looking under the hood.  It was a broken belt of some kind.  Mom thought we would have to walk for sure now.  The man couldn't give us a ride.  There were five of us.

     This man had walked back to his truck.  I thought he was leaving, but he came back.  He had a belt.  He told my mom he didn't know for sure if it would work or not, but he would try.  It worked and he didn't charge my mom anything for his help.

     When we got on our way again, mom and my older sister were talking about the man.  I said he must be an angel.  He was wearing all white and drove a white truck.  They didn't believe me of course.  I was a kid, but I knew he was an angel sent from God to help us get to my aunt's house.

     It has been thirty years since this happened and I remember it like it was last week.  There has been a lot of times when I've been in a tough situation.  God has always been with me.  He sends his angels to guide, protect, encourage, and fight the forces of evil. They bring messages and help protect Gods people. 

     Isn't it wonderful to know there are angels among us, sent down to us, to guide us with the light of love.

     Hebrews 1:14 says, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?