When I was a little girl, I was taught how to play Monopoly but I never fully grasped the winning strategy. I just liked collecting streets that sounded lovely and putting pretty houses on them. My favourite street was ‘The Angel Islington’ and it became “normal” in my family to leave that light blue dwelling alone so that I could grab it. I seemed to believe I had won the entire game as long as I had that particular property.
Looking back, I realise that I loved that property because it had the word “angel” in it. I’m not sure I really understood what an angel was supposed to be but I liked the way it sounded.
I was always fascinated with these creatures who were not human and who may or may not have wings. When I was at bible college, I would sit up straighter in my chair and listen more intently if angels were part of the lesson plan. Angles tell us so much about their creator.
After recommitting my life to God, I began reading anything I could get my hands on about angels and I would often ask God if I could just see one angel, pretty please? I got my desire about a year later.
I was living with my mum at the time of this story and she had caught a really nasty head cold that had moved into her chest. We had discussed phoning her students to reschedule which would allow her to stay in bed for the rest of the day. I was still really worried about her and I was seriously considering staying at home with her because she was very wheezy. We were discussing this on the front doorstep and when I turned to mum to reply to something she said I saw the most enormous man was standing behind her. He was so tall that I could not see his face, that was above the doorframe. He didn’t have wings but he did look ready for battle!
In that moment I fully appreciated why the first words out of most angels’ mouths were “fear not”. They are disconcerting, intimidating and powerful. Fear is a really sane reaction to their presence but it does not last long. It was quickly replaced by WOW!
I believe I saw an angel that day because I needed to see him in order to feel at peace about going to work. God wanted me know that mama was in large safe hands.
A decade or so later my mum discovered she had cancer in her leg. She was diagnosed when I was about half way through bible college and she was adamant that she didn’t want me to fly home for the operation. She wanted me to come home as planned after graduation to spend six weeks with her instead. This left me with few choices - all I could do was pray and … send her angels.
If you know me then you know that I don’t do anything by halves. I think in the first weeks after getting mums diagnosis I must have sent a squadron of angels her way. In my head her home looked a bit like Harry Potters house covered in owls.
Then one night while praying I saw her actual angels, the ones who have constantly stayed with her throughout her life. There are two main ones and I would be able to point them out in a heavenly line-up if required.
I had this picture in my mind that one was at the foot of her bed and the other was on the right side of her bed. All they were doing was standing next to her but I knew they would not leave her for a moment. One was looking after her body while the other took care of her soul. They assigned the same importance to both tasks.
I felt so far away from my family during those months but I also believed I had an instant way of offering help via these angelic beings.
So now when I pray for people, I send them angels and in my mind’s eye this is what I see. There is this round building that looks ancient and seated all around it are the most enormous men. They don’t have wings but they are warriors with armour and some have swords. They are sitting in that building in heaven waiting to be given tasks to complete on earth.
They were designed and engineered to be instant communicators between realms. They care deeply about us humans and long to be asked to provide help via their creator.
All it takes is one little prayer.