ANGELS ALL AROUND US

"SOME OF MY ANGELS!"

With the wait for our newest addition, Master Harrison Kale Tomlin, I have been given so much to think about. He may or may not have a few minor problems, we probably won't really know until he is born. In thinking about those minor issues, I am reminded that God never leaves us, He sends His Angels to watch over and protect us and that He is the Great Physician and Healer. So, no matter the situation for our new baby boy, God heals, He mends and He comforts. I know that Harrison is in God's hands and that He will bless this new little Angel!

Our messages for the past few Wednesday nights at church have been about Angels and what the Bible tells us about them. You will note that I used a capital letter on "Angels" and the reason I did this is because last night I was reminded that God appears to us in the form of an Angel and that the Bible tells us He actually has a conversation with Jesus in that form. What amazing things I continue to learn about God, Jesus, The Trinity, The Bible and the many, many, many things that we can learn from all of the teachings of the Bible. Whether they are explained by sightings, conversations with angels, battles with evil in the form of angels, feeling the presence of angels, or being led by angels, they are aspired to throughout the Bible. One thing we must remember, God knows all things and when we don't have a concrete explanation for something, we must trust that He does know and we have to accept that as "the last word" on the subject. Earthly angels are addressed, but not thoroughly explained in Bible text and interpretations are made from the writings. We do know for certain that Angels are patrolling the earth and exist among us today. It tells us too that we may at any time be entertaining an Angel in our presence so we must invite people into our homes, into our hearts and share the Word with them to further His direction for our lives. Remember that Mary saw the face of and spoke to an Angel who told her about Baby Jesus. Two angels were seen and spoken to in the tomb of Jesus. I personally know that Angels come to us on Earth in the form of humans, because I experienced the strength, comfort and love of an Angel when I was 12 years old. Unbelievers might say that I was hallucinating, others that I was delirious and others would have some medical explanation for it, but I know without any doubt that I was in the hands of an Angel and that she saved my life. It was God's will, I lived, I believed and I know that God's word is true and that we encounter Angels in our daily walk.

Let me tell you about my encounter with one of God's Angels. I was in a horrendous car accident with my Mom, my four siblings and a childhood friend. It was the middle of the night, we were on our way back from Easter vacation in Atlanta, it was raining and a truck put on brakes in front of us. In those days (the '70's) the cars were big, seat belts were unheard of and everybody could lay down (even in the floorboard of the car) and sleep. So, that is what all the kids were doing - sleeping, when I heard in the back of my mind my Mom scream "Kids, hang on." I remember spinning, spinning, and spinning more. The noise was incredible, the velocity of the car going over the embankment and down the ravine toward the water was powerful and the impact of metal against tree was beyond explanation. I was in the passenger side by the door. The front of the car on my side was stopped by the tree. My sister Tina was pinned beneath the dashboard. Glass was everywhere, crying was unbelievable and I remember hearing Mom crying and calling all our names. I don't know how she did it, but with glass cuts, bruises on her entire body and face, and who knew if she had broken bones or not, she climbed through a small opening in the broken window (in the dark and rain remember) and began to attempt to get us all out of the car. Her fear - that it would slide and go into the water or catch on fire. I could hear the movements, the cries, Mom's voice (that was the only thing that kept me focused) telling us we were okay and she was getting us out. One by one, she pulled each child from the back seat. They were cut, bruised, battered, frightened, but never hysterical. My Mom kept us all calm at a time when she didn't know if her babies in the front seat were going to die or not. She persevered, she kept going, she was a total and complete Mom showing devout love and protection for her children. God's hand remained on her shoulder as He helped her to forge on despite her own pain and anguish. With four children at the top of the ravine, cars had stopped and people were gathering by this time. She had some assistance with those she had been able to free from the car. She turned to return down the ravine to attempt to free Tina and I, when people began following her to offer their assistance. Never underestimate the decency of strangers in an emergency; most are always prepared to help even if it puts them in danger. So, they began the downward trip back to the car to get us out. Help was on the way, but in that day, there were no cell phones, only CB radios for truckers' use, and this is how emergencies were reported. When they returned to the vehicle, it was clear that Tina was pinned in under the dashboard and that I was alive, but barely. It was cold that Easter weekend and we all had coats with us. In that day, the coats were those furry, fuzzy thick things that all the girls wanted. Thank God for those coats. I had one between me and the door, and I managed to pull one onto my head and face when I first felt blood starting to run down from my head. As time passed, seconds seemed like hours and hours seemed like a lifetime. I remember thinking, thinking and thinking about everything and anything. I didn't hurt, I was completely numb from my toes to the top of my head. I couldn't see anything from so much blood and darkness. I remember Tina crying and I tried to talk and tell her not to cry. She would be okay. I remember touching her in any way that I could to calm her, but it was almost impossible to lift a hand much less a finger to find her to both comfort her and myself at the same time. I knew she was alive, that was important to me at the time. I was also aware that the other children had gotten out. Again, I could hear my Mother crying and telling people to help her get us out. She was finally convinced that we couldn't be moved and that she must wait for the emergency assistance that was on the way. With every second, I remember slipping away. I would try to open my eyes to wake up, but they wouldn't cooperate. I could smell blood, taste blood, feel blood, I knew in my heart that I was dying and I wanted Tina to live. My Dad was in New York City at a Retail Convention and somehow, I heard him talking to me. I don't remember his words, just his voice comforting me; and I wasn't yet in a state of complete submission, so I wasn't imagining it, I truly believed that I was hearing the sound of his voice. Never underestimate the power of parents to their children. It is strong and amazing. Mom returned to the top of the roadside to comfort and check on the others. Some people stayed with the car, sitting on the back to hold it down and keep it from forging ahead into the ravine and ultimately into the water. I could hear the sound of voices, but I couldn't understand any words by this point. I fell asleep, dreaming, falling, going in and out of this world. I was awakened by someone touching me and was aware that I had been covered up. It was then that I knew I was dying and that I was believed to have already passed from this world. Mom wasn't allowed to come to the car again, but I could hear her wailing from the roadside above. Faint, but certain, that was Mom I could hear. Tina was removed from the car by cutting away at the metal. I never moved during this time, I was frozen, totally incapacitated and wanted to badly to say, "Hey, I'm alive, don't leave me here." It wasn't possible to remove me from the car until she was out and I wasn't priority any more. After they removed her, the Sheriff of Davidson County, Garner Robinson (I later worked for his daughter, Muriel Robinson, now a Circuit Court Judge) came down the ravine to view the accident. He came to the window which had been knocked out by now and raised the coat. He said "Oh, S___" and I was able to say, "That's a good word for it." I think he screamed, not just for help, but from total shock that I was alive. All from that point was a mass of commotion, yelling, moving, men sitting on the car, pulling doors open, people touching me and talking to me. I heard, but couldn't say anything else after my few words to the Sheriff. I was removed, placed on a stretcher and walked to the top of the ravine to the roadside. I could hear people talking about the fact that they couldn't believe I was alive, I didn't have a pulse when they covered me up. I did, but I couldn't talk to tell them I was still with them. When I reached the roadside, paramedics were working on everyone (I am told) and people were absolutely everywhere. Ambulances, emergency personnel. Out the blue, a Volkswagen made a U-turn on the interstate and returned to the scene. Inside were two medical students from Vanderbilt who had come upon the accident and stopped to help. I could feel them working on me as they cleared my hair, tried to clean blood, bandaged my head to stop the bleeding and did everything they could to stabilize me while we waited on another ambulance to take me to Baptist Hospital. I could hear them, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't communicate with them. When they finished working on me, I remember a light and not being able to determine what that light was. Then the sweetest voice spoke to me. A woman. She told me to rest and to not be afraid. She told me that she would stay with me until the ambulance came for me. She told me that my Mom was there and that she was assisting the other children and that she would be with me later. She told me that God loves me and that everyone else was fine and I would be too. She placed a cross in my hand and told me to hold on to it. I remember it so clearly as if it were yesterday. I could feel the outline of the cross. I could feel her touch, I could hear her voice. Angelic, yet positive. I remember when she left me. During her presence, I heard no other sound but her voice. It was like all the noises from the scene were muted and I only heard her sweet voice comforting me. I felt her presence and then I knew she was gone. The sounds of the emergency around me returned and I realized that they were moving me to another stretcher to be placed inside the ambulance. She didn't say "Goodbye." She simply slipped away. Needless to say, I survived, with 88 stitches in my head (inside and out) after the doctors removed a large piece of glass from my skull. (People often joke that this is what's wrong with me, my brain injury!! That's not it at all, I'm just a very unique individual, created by God!) My very long hair was shaved off half my head and I was stabilized. I asked Mom about the woman who was with me and she told me that there was never a woman with me. I assured her that a lady held my hand, stayed with me and promised me that I was going to be just fine. And she didn't just come by for a second, she stayed with me. But I was told over and over again that there was no lady and there was no cross.

My Angel was never seen with my eyes, but her presence was as strong as when I hold my grandchildren while rocking them to sleep and her voice was a soothing as a Mother singing to her newborn baby. I was in the presence of an Angel sent from God and I will never underestimate the Power of God in our lives. He knows the plans He has for us, and His plan did not include death for me on that rainy night when I was a young girl. He held me, sent His Angel to protect me, and allowed me to hear comforting voices during my time of fear and despair. To this day, I know that God never leaves my side and that He is with me in all things. Sometimes I forget to allow Him to take the lead, but I always feel His presence in my life. So, never doubt the undisputed fact that Angels come to us on Earth and can, in fact, take the shape of a human. They can touch, speak and feel. Many times in the Bible, the face of the Angel was never seen, but they were present nonetheless.

God is in Control. He keeps us safe, and He protects us always. Love to you all. Keep Believing In Him!!