Have you Seen an Angel Lately?

In my morning quiet time, I read about Paul sailing, as a prisoner, to Italy. The blustering winds grew in strength causing the deep waters to rise up against the ship. Though Paul tried to warn the crew about the storm, the leaders of the vessel dismissed him and moved forward.

After several days of “taking a beating” from the violent storm, the crew lost all hope that any of them would be saved. Paul, and his gracious heart, stood before them and said, “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” (Acts 27:21-26 NIV)

 Can you hear Paul’s’ heart? In the midst of the storm and drastic situation, he encouraged. His thoughts moved away from his own predicament and he focused on ministering to others – to their needs, emotions, and spiritual well being. He also understood one other thing – the crew had not eaten in quite some time. He was concerned about their physical well being. He understood they needed strength – physically and spiritually.

 I was six months pregnant with my youngest son when we moved to Lipan Texas. My husband was called to serve as the lead pastor of a church in that little Texas town. We were excited but I wasn’t used to driving twenty minutes to reach the grocery store – or any other store for that matter.

 A few days after our first week there, we drove to the nearest town and found a pizza place for dinner. We stepped inside; dim lights hung overhead and we realized we were too late for lunch and too early for dinner - no wonder the restaurant appeared empty.  As we followed the waitress to our seats, I noticed one other couple huddled in a far corner off to the right of us. The woman in the corner stared as we passed by. I thought nothing of it - people stare at pregnant women.  

 We looked through the menu and at some point I noticed the woman still staring. I smiled and looked away. She smiled too. I felt it odd we were the only ones in the place. Time passed and I noticed the woman continued to stare. I squirmed in my seat, swiped my hair to the side, and wondered what her problem was.

 After the waitress took our order, I inhaled a deep breath and exhaled the stress of being pregnant. I grabbed a sip of cool water and out of the corner of my eye, saw the woman approaching.  Before we could say a word she said, “You two are Christians aren’t you?” 

 “Yes we are,” my husband responded.

 How did she know that? I pondered.   She didn’t see us praying over our food because it hadn’t arrived. It left me baffled.

 My husband began his long spill of being the new pastor at the church. She seemed uninterested. Upon his first breath and pause, she turned from him, looked toward me, and said, “The road ahead of you is going to be difficult, but don’t be afraid. God wants you to know that He will be with you.”

 Speechless. Stunned. I had no idea how to respond. I simply said, “Thank you.” And then she left as swiftly as she came.

“Was she an angel?” I wondered. “What was that about?” For days her words consumed my thoughts. What kind of difficulty would I endure?  Who was she?

 This morning the Lord reminded me, once again, of that incredible moment - when He spoke to me through someone I'd like to call an angel. He did the same for Paul when he sent an angel his way to say, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul.  “You must stand trial before Caesar.”  You – Paul – You're going to have to stand trial and the road ahead is going to be difficult, but don’t be afraid. And the men on the ship? Well – they’re going to be okay too.

 That season I did go through many difficult and trying days. The Lord’s message encouraged me more than I ever imagined it could. It became the hope I grabbed hold of and clung to with my whole being.  

 Years later I was asked to lead worship for a women’s conference on the Island of Malta. What a beautiful and glorious place! I sat by the Mediterranean ocean and watched the powerful waves hit against the large stone walls. With such force and intensity the water flew above the fifteen foot barriers sending droplets of water my way.  My thoughts turned toward Paul and his unbelievable adventure . . . and that in the end. . . God brought him through a great storm. God will do the same for us. He’ll even send us those amazing and miraculous messages to sustain us along the way.  

May Your Journey Be Filled With God's Sustaining Message