” ANGELS UNAWARES ” ………

Hebrews  13 : 2  “———— for thereby some have entertained angels unawares…………..”

I am forever thankful for the  “angels unawares ” that have slipped in and out of my life and for the diversity of them .  And there have been many : some are kind, some are grumpy, some are direct, some are subtle, some are attractive, some not so much, some are educated, some are illiterate, some are young and some are old…………..but one thing is for sure , NONE of them have halos or wings.  They are ordinary people along my journey who have shared their wisdom or given me a hand when needed, helping me along the way.

There are not enough fingers and toes to count all of them nor enough words to recite what they have meant.  But I will mention a few.

———-An older woman in a small church in Winder who encouraged me to speak publicly.  I was unsure and uneasy, and she held my hand, showed me the way, and pushed me as needed.  I could never have followed my chosen path without the ability to speak before a group.  NO HALO,  NO WINGS, but an angel indeed.

……….A high school senior, FFA officer, who asked this skinny, not-so-pretty freshman girl to dance at her first high school dance , making her feel important at such a critical time in her life.  NO HALO, NO WINGS, but an angel indeed.

………A member of the Franklin County Grand Jury in the late 70s who convinced the others that the time had come for a female on the Board of Education.  Thanks to her influence, I became the first woman to serve, hence opening the door for many others.  NO HALO, NO WINGS, but an angel indeed.

……….A state trooper who stopped me for a missing headlight and speeding when Byron was in the hospital recovering from serious surgery.  I explained , received a pat on the arm and advice to get a new headlight the next day.  NO HALO, NO WINGS, but an angel indeed.

……….A kid at the high school who came to my FCHS office to tell me that I had left  ” under God ”  out of the pledge when I led it on the intercom that morning.  I explained to him ( and the next day to the entire school ) that I had learned the pledge before those two words were added in the 1950s and it was simply a throw-back.  NO HALO, NO WINGS, but an angel indeed.

……….My fourth grade teacher at Lavonia Elementary who saw me peek at another student’s paper and change an answer.  She sent me back to my seat, saying,  ” I know you’re better than that “.  I have been 100% honest, always, since then.  NO HALO, NO WINGS, but an angel indeed.

……….Our yard man who offers his hand while we’re walking on uneven ground, a young man holding the market door and offering to take my groceries, a policeman who hugs following a fender-bender,  a vet who makes house calls, an office staff who protects , my very special  “preacher friend ” where denominations don’t matter, and on and on ……………….  NO HALOS, NO WINGS, but angels indeed.

I offer this challenge : remember all the  ” angels unawares ” in your life.  They will not be wearing flowing white robes nor walking on streets of gold. Nor will they be recognizable by their halos and wings.  But rather they are, or have been, beside you at work, in school, at ballgames, in theaters, in church, at social gatherings, on the street, and at any other place that you have interacted with people.

Take a minute———–and be thankful !