Pool-time Visit by Birgit Bostelman from Grand Junction, Colorado
I relaxed in our backyard under the shade of a big tree, while my five-year-old daughter, Paula, splashed and laughed in the pool. After a while, she hoisted herself up onto the edge for a quiet break. The sun shone bright overhead, our dog asleep in the grass. It was a perfect moment, everything hushed. A peacefulness hung over the entire yard.
I soaked in the stillness until something caused me to look over at the garage. I saw a figure dressed in a luminous, lacy white robe. Her feet did not touch the ground as she moved past us, radiating calmness, and disappeared behind the trees. Could I have really seen an angel? Was that possible?
My eyes met Paula’s, her face serene. “Mom, did you see that?” she asked.
“Yes, I did.” Without another word, Paula slipped back into the pool to play. Seeing an angel seemed to be the most natural thing in the world to her.
The faith of this child was all the answer I needed.
Holding Onto the Reins by Carol Sandberg from Demotte, Indiana
When I was 12 years old, I spent the summer with my cousins out in the country. Their friend across the road had a horse named Gray Eagle. I went over often to pet him in the barn. One day, he was saddled up for me to ride.
Off we went along the gravel road. I waved to my aunt as we passed by at the slow gait I was comfortable with. I would keep to the road, and pulled the reins toward the paved one. Gray Eagle had other ideas. He turned abruptly toward home. All at once he was running full speed at the low barn door. My head was going to hit the top of it!
I couldn’t think. I couldn’t crouch down. It was all I could do to keep hold of the reins. I felt a sturdy hand on my back. It gently pushed me down against the horse’s neck. Gray Eagle flew into the barn. I missed the top by inches, saved by an angel.
The Letter by Courtney Thomas from Douglasville, Georgia
Finally, the day we’d been waiting for. Nine months after our three-year-old daughter, Zoe, was diagnosed with leukemia, we were so close to the end of the hardest phase of her treatment. After this last round of chemo at the clinic, Zoe would be able to take an oral chemo drug at home. It had far fewer side effects than the drugs she’d been receiving through her port each month. I’d prayed for this day for a long time and gotten up early in anticipation.
My heart sank when Zoe woke up that morning with a fever. At the very least, her treatment would have to be delayed. My husband, T.J., took her into the clinic, while I stayed at home with our sons. T.J. called to tell me that Zoe was being admitted to the hospital. As I rounded up the boys to head over there, I felt so helpless and defeated.
I quickly grabbed the mail from the overflowing box as we left. It felt like everything was piling up. When I threw the mail on the seat of the car, I noticed a handwritten envelope with no stamp. I got behind the wheel and opened the envelope. “Dear Neighbor,” the letter read, “I’m 16 years old, and I’m writing this because God told me to. I heard about your daughter, and I wanted to tell you that I’m praying for you. God loves you and he is always with you.”
For the first time in a while, I felt peace come over me. It has brought me comfort throughout Zoe’s journey toward healing. I never discovered the identity of that thoughtful teenager, but I keep the letter on my nightstand even now. A reminder that God always knows what we need.
Heaven-sent Tent by Carol McNulty-Huffman from Maui, Hawaii
”I want a tent! I want a tent!” My eight-year-old daughter, Erin, had been chanting variations on the same theme for weeks. Clearly, she wanted a tent.
It had all started with a sleepover. Erin’s bedroom was so small that my husband and I had pitched our camping tent on the back deck to give Erin and her friends some space to have a good time. It was a huge hit. Since then, Erin hadn’t let go of her wish for a tent of her own.
“We should get her one for Christmas,” my husband said after Erin’s latest plea. A good idea, but it meant lots of patience—for Erin and for us—in the meantime.
A few days after we’d settled on Christmas bringing an end to Erin’s pestering, I looked outside and almost fell over. There in our front yard was a fully set-up tent. I called my husband to the window. He scratched his head, dumbfounded. Erin ran up to see what she was missing. “My tent!” she cried. “It’s really here!”
“Erin, that’s not yours,” I said. “Yours isn’t coming until Christmas.”
I went door-to-door in the neighborhood to see if anyone knew what was up with the mystery tent in our yard. Maybe someone needed a place to test it out? No one could explain. Or would explain? All I can figure is that Erin’s Christmas prayer was answered by an earth angel playing Santa.
Anna’s Angel by Melanie Castillo from Cedar Park, Texas
I stood in the kitchen, preparing lunch for my 18-month-old granddaughter. As I worked, Anna crawled around on the floor near my feet. I knew to keep a close eye on her as she laughed and explored, full of curiosity. After 31 years with the State Health Department, I was thrilled to have found an exciting new job in retirement: taking care of Anna. I watched over her every day while my daughter went to work.
Anna loved crawling all over the house, but her favorite spot had become the staircase. As I finished up her lunch, I turned to see that Anna had made her way there. She was already up to the third step! Before I could make a move, Anna tumbled backwards. In my mad dash to catch her, I saw her fall slowly, gently, as if she was being guided safely to the bottom. The invisible force cradled her as it brought her to the ground. Her head didn’t make a sound as it came to rest on the floor.
I picked her up and she looked up at me, smiling.
What just happened? I checked the back of her head but there was no bump. She was completely fine. I knew then that Anna’s guardian angel was also on the job, just beginning a long career of watching over my curious granddaughter.
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