We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.
Luciano De Crescenzo
I hesitated to even look for a representation of an angel. Who knows how those heavenly beings really look? We have some inkling from Scripture, but all too often we seem to get bogged down in their appearance rather than their responsibility. Please know, this post is merely the opinion of a humble child of God, not someone claiming to have any great theological insights or education.
I know the Nativity account, and I believe a heavenly host came to the shepherds. Obviously, God needed a fast, reliable, effective way to get an important message to the shepherds, and with no cell towers in sight, angels seemed to fit the bill. Maybe there hasn't been an appearance of a heavenly host since the announcement of our Savior's birth, but I think there have always been angels among us.
I just got back from having lunch with my friend, Deb. I think she's one of my angels, she looks out for me, she provides for me, she understands and affirms me, she loves on me in all kinds of ways that "restoreth my soul". And she does it all with no intent of her personal gain. Deb was waiting for me when I was unexpectedly transferred from secondary social studies to a 2nd grade classroom several years ago. She was a shoulder to cry on, a laugh when I needed one, and always available. Doesn't that sound like an image of an angel?
There also seem to be angels who pass through our lives during intersections who guide us in the right direction. For us, a financial aid officer at William Jewell College, named Corrine, did just that. Having gone back and attended college for a couple of years, Corrine called me in on afternoon and asked if Tom had any interest in working on a degree or program. Sure enough, Tom had thought about the paralegal program but didn't think we could afford for both of us to go to school. Corrine knew the way and set Tom on a much more satisfying career path that benefited our whole family.
Having been blessed by God's angels, it made me beg the question, could the Lord use me to do similar work for Him? Oh, please don't misunderstand;I'm no angel! Far from it! I'm talking about selfless, acts of kindness to others. It would probably mean deliberately thinking of others first, paying attention or anticipating needs.
Let me give you a couple examples. In my elementary classrooms, pencil sharpeners of any ilk seemed to be endangered species. It's hard to get your work done with an unsharpened pencil. My friend, Kathy the media specialist, graciously let my students come to the library to use her electric sharpener. When Kathy retired she gave me her pencil sharpener. (That's kind of a big deal since a heavy duty classroom model cost about $67, and our annual budget was only $75.)
Another time it brought me sheer joy to bless a colleague. I overheard Kristina, our super sweet reading teacher, tell another teacher there was no clock in her room, so she had trouble keeping to a schedule. Someone had recently given me a nice little ormolu clock that I just couldn't find the right spot for. It was like playing Santa early the next morning to sneak into Kristina's classroom and place the clock on her teaching table. I don't think she ever knew it was from me, and that makes me very happy.
Have you been someone's "angel" lately? Did you think your heart might just explode from the gladness that filled your soul? I pray you have been blessed by angels among us, and abundantly blessed by reaching out to a fellow traveler.
I know the Nativity account, and I believe a heavenly host came to the shepherds. Obviously, God needed a fast, reliable, effective way to get an important message to the shepherds, and with no cell towers in sight, angels seemed to fit the bill. Maybe there hasn't been an appearance of a heavenly host since the announcement of our Savior's birth, but I think there have always been angels among us.
I just got back from having lunch with my friend, Deb. I think she's one of my angels, she looks out for me, she provides for me, she understands and affirms me, she loves on me in all kinds of ways that "restoreth my soul". And she does it all with no intent of her personal gain. Deb was waiting for me when I was unexpectedly transferred from secondary social studies to a 2nd grade classroom several years ago. She was a shoulder to cry on, a laugh when I needed one, and always available. Doesn't that sound like an image of an angel?
There also seem to be angels who pass through our lives during intersections who guide us in the right direction. For us, a financial aid officer at William Jewell College, named Corrine, did just that. Having gone back and attended college for a couple of years, Corrine called me in on afternoon and asked if Tom had any interest in working on a degree or program. Sure enough, Tom had thought about the paralegal program but didn't think we could afford for both of us to go to school. Corrine knew the way and set Tom on a much more satisfying career path that benefited our whole family.
Having been blessed by God's angels, it made me beg the question, could the Lord use me to do similar work for Him? Oh, please don't misunderstand;I'm no angel! Far from it! I'm talking about selfless, acts of kindness to others. It would probably mean deliberately thinking of others first, paying attention or anticipating needs.
Let me give you a couple examples. In my elementary classrooms, pencil sharpeners of any ilk seemed to be endangered species. It's hard to get your work done with an unsharpened pencil. My friend, Kathy the media specialist, graciously let my students come to the library to use her electric sharpener. When Kathy retired she gave me her pencil sharpener. (That's kind of a big deal since a heavy duty classroom model cost about $67, and our annual budget was only $75.)
Another time it brought me sheer joy to bless a colleague. I overheard Kristina, our super sweet reading teacher, tell another teacher there was no clock in her room, so she had trouble keeping to a schedule. Someone had recently given me a nice little ormolu clock that I just couldn't find the right spot for. It was like playing Santa early the next morning to sneak into Kristina's classroom and place the clock on her teaching table. I don't think she ever knew it was from me, and that makes me very happy.
Have you been someone's "angel" lately? Did you think your heart might just explode from the gladness that filled your soul? I pray you have been blessed by angels among us, and abundantly blessed by reaching out to a fellow traveler.
Psalm 91:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
Thank you, THANK YOU!
Looks like lots of new folks are stopping by.
I hope you enjoy our visit.
Looks like lots of new folks are stopping by.
I hope you enjoy our visit.
RSS Feed