~~ Psalm 91:11-14 (NIV84) ~~ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
by Carley Cooper
(Adapted from a post entitled “Angelsfrom Heaven”, that I wrote and originally published on December 20th, 2011 on my other site, TinRoof Sundae) - This article is the first in a series about angels.
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| Photo by Carla Cooper One of many Angels in my collection All Copyrights Reserved |
Angels. We see them in all sorts of places. Plus, they seem to come in all shapes and sizes; much like people. I’ve seen pictures of them as tall and thin wearing long flowing white gowns. Some are males and some are females; all with beautiful large wings. Then there’s the chubby little ones with cheeks so cute that you just want to pinch them. But we don’t ever really see them in the realm of our real world. Or do we? There are many people out there who have stories that cannot be explained any other way.
God has assigned us angels that are with us all the time; kinda like body guards that stick with us for life. The only difference is that they’re not about to clobber someone on our behalf like the body guards that we see in the movies. They just protect us from getting hurt or killed before our time. I think that God also send angels to us for special occasions. A little bit like a special assignment case when we are about to get ourselves into some seriously big trouble that’s just too much for the regular guards to handle alone. Or maybe it’s a case that calls for a special agent due to a situation that the regular guys just aren’t trained to handle.
I also believe that God also uses people for some of these special assignment cases. Why pull an angel away from somewhere else, or from Heaven; if He can just use one of the people that are already here? Sometimes God can use other people in our lives to fill in as an angel in our lives when we need them the most. You know those times when a friend gives you something, or unexpectedly does something for you, at exactly the moment you need it. Have you ever said, or had someone say to you “Oh, you are an angel! Thank you so much for this!” Well, that’s it exactly. They are an angel sent by God at that moment. They may not realize it, but God has used them to be your angel.
For me, one of those people is the pastor at my church. Pastor Henry has helped me in more ways than one person deserves from another. Some days I really would feel lost without him. A few weeks ago; before the holidays, I decided on a Christmas gift. I really wanted to give him something special. It was a collection of four small glass angel ornaments with touches of gold trim. I thought it was very appropriate considering how I felt about our friendship; and all that he’s done for me. The collection, was a beautiful set; but I looked at them and thought “it’s not enough. It needs to be more personal. Maybe I should buy something else.” I thought about it for a while, and decided that I would write a poem to go with the angel collection; to tell him how much he helps me and how much I appreciate it.
I've written a lot since I discovered my talent for writing words and my love of the craft. However, I had never in my life attempted poetry. I had absolutely no idea if I could do it at all. I sat down one evening after dinner to write a poem for Pastor Henry. For several hours, I dribbled many words and phrases onto my keyboard; but nothing that made sense. I tried writing something funny, then something serious, something that rhymed, and something that didn’t. After a lot of frustration; and even more laughter at what I was writing; I decided that poetry obviously was not my gift! But it was still bothering me. I needed to see this through to the end one way or the other, or it would make me crazy. I don’t like leaving things unfinished. So, I prayed about it, and suddenly the words started to come together and they made sense. At about midnight, that night, I finished this poem. Let me know what you think.
I've written a lot since I discovered my talent for writing words and my love of the craft. However, I had never in my life attempted poetry. I had absolutely no idea if I could do it at all. I sat down one evening after dinner to write a poem for Pastor Henry. For several hours, I dribbled many words and phrases onto my keyboard; but nothing that made sense. I tried writing something funny, then something serious, something that rhymed, and something that didn’t. After a lot of frustration; and even more laughter at what I was writing; I decided that poetry obviously was not my gift! But it was still bothering me. I needed to see this through to the end one way or the other, or it would make me crazy. I don’t like leaving things unfinished. So, I prayed about it, and suddenly the words started to come together and they made sense. At about midnight, that night, I finished this poem. Let me know what you think.
Angels from Heaven
by Carley Cooper
by Carley Cooper
A stranger willing to say a prayer,
or a puppy with lots of kisses to share.
A friend who loves enough to sit in silence,
and a pastor with an endless patience.
All are angels sent from Heaven,
to help those like me that’s for certain.
This fancy package that comes from my heart,
is especially for you with my thanks to impart.
Four little angels are contained within,
each a characteristic of our friendship akin.
Lectures, advice, and guidance you extend;
my angel, my pastor, my counsellor, my friend.
or a puppy with lots of kisses to share.
A friend who loves enough to sit in silence,
and a pastor with an endless patience.
All are angels sent from Heaven,
to help those like me that’s for certain.
This fancy package that comes from my heart,
is especially for you with my thanks to impart.
Four little angels are contained within,
each a characteristic of our friendship akin.
Lectures, advice, and guidance you extend;
my angel, my pastor, my counsellor, my friend.
I had planned on going to the church office the next morning, a few days before Christmas, to fulfill my own little tradition of taking in the huge gift basket filled with lots of homemade Christmas treats to the staff. I do this because I love all those in the church office so much for all the work that they do for the church, for Jesus and for me. I figured it was the perfect time to deliver Pastor Henry’s Christmas gift.
So, I delivered it right on schedule. I walked into his office with a big smile and a very cheery “Merry Christmas!” I gave him the gift and said that he could choose to wait and open it at Christmas, but I really was hoping to see his reaction. I sat down. He opened it. He read it. Then he said something like "Wow, that's nice. Thanks".
Hmmm! It wasn't quite the response that I had hoped for. I really had expected a little more enthusiasm. So, I sat and looked at him for a few seconds, waiting for something more. Then he responded with "I'm not going to look at you because if I do, I'll cry". HA! I knew it! He was very touched by it; which made me very happy.
Hmmm! It wasn't quite the response that I had hoped for. I really had expected a little more enthusiasm. So, I sat and looked at him for a few seconds, waiting for something more. Then he responded with "I'm not going to look at you because if I do, I'll cry". HA! I knew it! He was very touched by it; which made me very happy.
Oh, and just for backup I also gave him a batch of deviled eggs... one of his favorite treats! My Grandmother told me “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Granted, Nanny meant it in terms of finding a husband; but I figured that I could apply that theory to this situation as well; just in case the poem wasn’t a hit.
The reason that angels come in all shapes and sizes like people, is because sometimes they are the people!
~~ Dear God ~~ Your works and Your ways are more than we could ever hope to comprehend. Thank You for those that You put in our lives, in our paths; that help save us and guide us in Your direction. Please use me to be someone’s angel so that I may help them in the same way that others have helped me. In Jesus name, AMEN.
