What If She's An Angel?

We had been driving for hours.  It was the black of night and the rain began to fall so hard my husband slowed the car so he could see.  He's a car man, in the car business, so being in the presence of such an expert driver should tell you how hard it was raining.  Ahem.  As a rule of thumb, I don't stop in the dead of night for people who are broken down on the side of the road.  Hannibal Lecter  and Freddie Krueger immediately come to mind when I think of doing such a thing.  There was something about this car, though.  The driver had all the interior lights on, children in the back, and he was frantically waving down cars.  "STOP THE CAR!" I yelled.  I knew in my gut these people needed help.  We argued about face eating psychopaths for a second and then I said, "What if he's an angel?"  (I knew I loved that song for a reason.) My darling husband, Bo, immediately pulled over.  After stern directions to stay in the car, he got out into the driving rain to see what was going on.  Their car had broken down on the way to the hospital, his wife was in HARD labor, and they forgot their cell phone at home.  When Bo told me, I immediately said, "Oh my gosh!  I can help!  I'M ALMOST A NURSE."  You see, I went to nursing school and completed all my prerequisite classes.  I did not, however, complete ANY clinicals. So, I took a deep breath, formed plan in my head of how I was going to deliver a baby in these conditions.  I walked straight over to the driver's  side of the car.  "Ma'am, I can help you.   How far apart are your contractions?" Oh man I was doing so good!  She says to me, "They are right on top of each other and I can feel the head crowning."  MY RESPONSE? "  Are you hungry? I have granola bars and sandwiches. Would you like some water or soda?  I have a blanket if you are cold."  Just like that I went from being almost a nurse to full blown hostess.  Maybe even a flight attendant in training.  We loaned them our phone, they called an ambulance, and we later found out she had her baby in the elevator of the hospital.  I will never forget what Bo said to me after that, "Whew, I sure am glad you're almost a nurse.  If I ever have a heart attack, at least I will be warm with a full belly."  I can take that right off of my resume. 

That day I began to listen more carefully to the voice within.  The overwhelming urge I felt to stop on the side of the road was the Holy Spirit. My flesh was the one telling me I was a delivery nurse.  There's a huge difference.  I often wonder how many times I've ignored the Holy Spirit and missed a huge blessing along the way.  My pride has stopped me several times from answering that call.  Like the time I passed a woman in the grocery and she was really upset.  She was talking about how Christians pass around the offering plate and behave one way in church but when people like her can't afford groceries, we are nothing but hypocrites.  I literally stood behind her, frozen, knowing I needed to say something or pray with her, or even offer to buy part of her groceries that day.  I was too afraid and I was also afraid of how I might look.  I regret leaving the store and I now know that it doesn't matter what I looked like, what she could have said to me, or how she would've taken any gesture I offered.  I had the opportunity to show her a glimpse of Jesus' love and I didn't.

There is a quote I would like to share with you.  "It is becoming less and less important of what people think of me.  It is of utmost importance, however,  what people think of Jesus, because of me."

I wish I could say I have made huge strides in this area of my walk.  Although I am working very hard to be obedient, my flesh still gets in the way.  When it comes to random strangers, it has helped to ask myself, "What if she/he's an angel?" I am not so presumptuous to unequivocally say God places angels in our path to test us.  I am not a biblical scholar.  I am just sharing my experience with you as I lived it.  Do you have any encounters with "angels" you'd like to share? What are some ways you have learned to obey the Holy Spirit?  I have included the YouTube video of the song that has touched my life in such a profound way.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 


"What If She's An Angel" by Brad Paisley.

Chorus
What if she's an angel sent here from Heaven
And she's making certain that you're doing your best
To take the time to help one another
Brother are you going to pass that test
You can go on with your day to day
Trying to forget what you saw in her face
Knowing deep down it could have been her saving grace
What if she's an angel

 

"13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known you." John 16:13-14 NIV

 

"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20 NIV