.…God calls his angels “messengers swift as the wind, and servants made of flaming fire.” Hebrews 1:7From the minute Awatef and I sat down a litany of often heard grievances began spewing out of her mouth. First they were about American foreign policies, then about abuses at residential schools perpetrated by the Catholic Church. She fired one accusation after another at me. It felt more like I was standing in front of a judge in a court than sitting across from a friend in a restaurant. Her eyes blazed with anger. I felt helpless how to respond. Every time I opened my mouth to respond I would be cut off sharply. Finally I said I would like to share a good story with her about healing and forgiveness. As I began to share it I was cut off again. I was really stressed out. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a man had come to sit down across from us at the next table. He just sat there and listened and watched us. He didn’t say a word but I felt strengthened by his presence. As I got up to leave I made eye contact with the man across from us. He looked compassionately at me. Strange. Who was that? Immediately in my head I wondered if he could possibly have been an angel sent to minister strength to me in a helpless moment.
Maybe he was or maybe he wasn’t. All I knew was I felt strengthened by his presence. I experienced that another time. I was pouring out my soul giving a seminar in reaching Muslim women and at the end there was time for questions. A belligerent man stood up and attacked what I shared. I hardly knew how to respond. I noticed at the beginning of the seminar that three very hefty men who looked like body guards came and sat as close as possible to me at the front. Their presence strengthened me considerably. After all was done and the attendees had left the three hefty men came up to me and said, “If that man would have said anymore we would have thrown him out.” And then they left quickly. Who were they? Again I wondered if they were God-appointed messengers sent to minister to me in a time of need.
I have been warmly and mysteriously strengthened by strangers suddenly appearing at vulnerable moments in the past forty years of ministry among Muslims. I thank God for these strangers whether they are human or angelic. It really doesn’t matter. We aren’t left alone. What a comfort! God cares about us and what we are going through.
Dear heavenly Father, You take such abundant good care of us. Thank You for Your ministering angels. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
