Saved by an Angel

by Virtue Doreen

  My injuries were severe and indeed quite life threatening. I lay in a coma and was on life support. The doctors told my family to expect the worst—that I probably wouldn’t make it through the night.

  While I was in the coma, my favorite aunt, who had passed away six months prior to the accident, came to me. She didn’t say much, but she stood there with me while I took in the situation. Every time I turned to ask her something or cry to her, she merely smiled and nodded. I remember a glow around her, and the absolute peace that she brought to me during my state of panic. I wanted so badly to escape the confusion that filled me at that point. My first instinct was to reach out and grab her hand and go off to wherever she had come from. She just smiled, extended her hand to me, and nodded.

  Then I was awake, beginning my long road to recovery. At first, the doctors assured my family that I would live as a vegetable. Then they said that I’d regain some of my old self but would never walk again. When I woke up, I couldn’t speak, walk, or comprehend anything. I was an infant in a 16-year-old body. I worked through physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy; and now I sit here and am writing this. I was considered dead, yet here I am promoting life.

  Each time I feel that I can’t go on, I go back to that moment when Aunt Nina smiled and nodded at me. Yes, the old me died then, but the me I know now was born.

  A DREAM THAT SAVED MY LIFE

  by Jill Wellington Schaeff

  Armed with a journalism degree from Ohio State University, I was thrilled to land a job at a tiny radio station in Racine, Wisconsin, back in 1979. The hours were grueling, as I was covering evening city-council meetings, and then I was up at 3 A.M. to report the morning-drive news on the air. All this for a paltry paycheck.

  After ten months of little sleep, one of the disc jockeys, Andy, asked if I’d join him in a move to a bigger station in Evansville, Indiana. Wow—a raise and a bigger market! I was really on my way at the age of 23.

  Five weeks later, Andy and I were fired. The station switched to automation, and the humans became obsolete. Andy easily landed another job in Evansville, but I did not. I started to get really worried when I scouted every station in town only to find that they had no news openings. Suddenly I missed my old job, my friends, and that slim paycheck.

  Andy offered to drive me back to Racine for a party weekend with the old gang. He said we could stay with his parents in nearby Milwaukee. I called my mother in Cincinnati and told her my plans. Not a half hour later she called me back.

  “Grandma is in the hospital in bad shape. I’m going to Kenosha.” Amazingly, Kenosha is just ten miles south of Racine. We planned to meet for dinner and go to the hospital together. What a strange, but nice, coincidence.

  A violent thunderstorm pelted Kenosha when we arrived at the restaurant. It seemed to place a heavy pall over the meal. I was thrilled to be with my mother, but I was vaguely depressed. She and Andy felt the same way, and we barely talked over dinner. But I remember that Mom asked Andy what his last name was several times.

  When we arrived at the hospital, Grandma was sitting up in bed looking normal. We were confused by her spunk. She would be released the next day, and Mom wondered why she had made the long trip. I kissed her good-bye and went with Andy to attend a party with my former co-workers.

  The party was a downer as well. Everyone was depressed. We couldn’t put our finger on the cause of the lethargy. Andy came up to me several times to tell me that we had to leave his parents’ house at 7 the next morning so he could make it back to Evansville for his first day at his new job. By 1:30 in the morning, I was exhausted.

  “Let’s get to my parents’ house,” Andy said. “We have to leave tomorrow at 7.”

  As I hugged everyone good-bye, various co-workers began to cry. One girl said, “Jill, we’ll never see you again.” That struck me as being “wrong.”

  “I’ll visit. Don’t worry. We’ll get together soon,” I assured them. I couldn’t figure out why everyone was acting so strange.

  I was relieved to collapse into bed at Andy’s house. I glanced at the clock. Two in the morning. I heard a knock on my door, and Andy’s mother entered. “Your mom is on the phone.”

  I was certain something had happened to Grandma. Andy’s mother ushered me into her bedroom to use the phone. My mother was hysterical. “You can’t leave with Andy tomorrow morning!” My mom had just experienced a vivid dream in bright color. A woman had come to the door and said, “Your daughter and my son were in a terrible accident. My son lived, but your daughter was killed!”

  My mother sat up in bed and had a unshakable instinct to find me. She remembered Andy’s last name from the conversation at dinner, grabbed a phone book, and found the number. She said she would have stood out on the highway all night to stop me from making that trip.

  I went to tell Andy we couldn’t leave at 7. He looked pale and shaken. He, too, had felt a horrible dread about the trip. We realized that the whole weekend had been darkened with a sense of doom.

  Andy left the next morning at 8 to break any “chain” that might have been in place for an accident. My mother drove from Kenosha to pick me up and take me back to Evansville. When Andy’s mother opened the door, my mom gasped. His mother was the woman in her dream!

  I know angels were working overtime that weekend, and I wasn’t supposed to die at the age of 23. Whenever I’m down about something, I remember God’s guidance. There are no coincidences. We are never alone.

  A TRULY UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

  by Nicola Kimpton

  I was asleep. In my dream, I was in a big old house, lying in bed. I was trying to sleep but feeling fearful. I called out for Archangel Michael by chanting his name over and over. It was so vivid that I even “heard” myself speaking.

  All of a sudden, Archangel Michael appeared in my dream! He was overhead and to my right. I had a clear vision of him. He looked youthful, with blond hair. He was smiling and emanated a powerful purple energy, which felt very reassuring. He pulled a purple cover over me as I lay in bed, and as he did so, he spoke to me, offering words of encouragement. He said that I was doing well, but that I should seek out like-minded souls. Then he seemed to cleanse my aura of fear and bathe my crown chakra with golden light.

  Archangel Michael was loving and friendly, and I felt overcome, both by his power and his love. I didn’t know what to say … I was so amazed and humbled by his appearance! I could only watch and listen, as if I wanted to take in every detail. It was a truly unforgettable experience.

  As I woke up, I knew intuitively that this was the angels’ way of saying, “Don’t worry, everything’s okay. You are loved. We are here.” I am truly grateful for this experience. As a result of this dream, I have developed a personal relationship with Archangel Michael and now feel and recognize his presence. Through his dream visitation, Michael transformed my belief from hope to trust, and showed that he really is here for me … and for us all.

  Chapter 10

  PRAYERS ANSWERED BY ANGELS

  NO MORE TURBULENCE

  by Brenda Colling

  I was on a turbulent flight from Adelaide to Melbourne, after a busy weekend away. The plane not only jolted up and down, but also swayed from side to side.

  I was feeling rather anxious, as I like to keep my feet firmly on the ground. I closed my eyes, asking Archangel Michael to protect us, visualizing his huge wings wrapped around the plane. As my eyes opened, the flight attendant was making his way down the aisle toward me. I noticed his name badge—it said Michael. Instantly I knew we were safe and protected.

  The captain’s voice came over the intercom, announcing that he was taking the plane down 2,000 feet to avoid the turbulence. We had the smoothest flight after that, calmly cruising into Melbourne. Thank you, Archangel Michael, for looking after us on our journey home.

  FROM THE HEART

  by Anonymous

  My angel story is short and sweet.

  I was sitting in my bedroom, feelin
g down and depressed about my life. I was crying, and in my mind I started a conversation with the angels to ask them to help me. I also requested that they please show me a sign of their presence.

  I wiped my eyes with a tissue, and as I looked at it, I saw that my tears had made a perfect heart shape on it. This certainly reassured me of my angels’ presence, help, and everlasting love. I have kept the tissue to always remind me of this very special miracle.

  A HEAVENLY JUMP-START

  by Sharon

  I had to go into town, but when I went out to my car, I discovered that someone had left the door open. The open door meant that the interior light was on too long, and my battery was completely dead.

  We had a spare battery, but it didn’t fit my car’s terminals. My husband and I tried jump-starting the car with it, but we had no success. Then my husband brought his car around, and we tried jumping it from his battery. Still no luck. He increased the revs on his car, and I tried again … but still nothing.

  Just as he was going back to his car to turn it off, I remembered the angels. I thought, Raphael heals! Then, in my mind, I cried out, Raphael, heal my car!

  The car roared to life! I made it all the way into town without a hitch. What makes this story even more delightful is that I had to get into town before the bookstore closed. You see, I had just found out that they had Doreen’s book Angel Therapy back in stock.

  INSTANT ASSISTANCE

  by Joanne

  My son, Rusty, was a bright and extremely happy child. He was full of energy and curiosity, and was very impulsive. One day I was busy in the kitchen, preparing a meal. Rusty was playing nearby. He was not yet two years old.

  As I was cooking, I laid a steak knife on the countertop. I turned away for an instant, and Rusty grabbed it. When I turned back, he was smiling, ready to bolt with his prize, and expecting a gleeful chase. Still unsteady as a toddler, it was a tragedy in the making. Nothing I could have said or done would have stopped that little boy from completing his purpose. I fell to my knees and pleaded with God’s angels for help. No words came from my mouth. I simply flashed thoughts instantaneously.

  Rusty, still joyful and full of energy, dropped the knife. It happened so quickly and was so uncharacteristic of the chase games he initiated that I knew angels had been with us. I thanked the angels and God for helping me that day. I also became even more aware of all the good that surrounds my son!

  ANGEL IN THE DELIVERY ROOM

  by Jacqueline Regina

  I was with my daughter in the hospital while she was in labor. It was difficult to watch her endure so much pain, so I started praying really hard, asking for help and strength so that both of us could get through this. Just then, my daughter began to appear very sick and seemed to be looking at me for assistance. I didn’t know what to do. I felt so helpless, so I prayed, “Dear God—help her!”

  At that moment, I saw a very large angel appear by my daughter’s bedside! It was so large that it practically filled up the whole room. This angel was looking down at my daughter, and then a few moments later, the baby started to come out—but the cord was wrapped around his neck! He was turning purple and black from lack of oxygen, and wasn’t breathing. Somehow, the angel communicated to me that he would be all right. I felt this message very strongly.

  I shall never forget the beautiful angel who saved my grandson. I am so grateful that heaven was there to help us.

  THE PARKING-SPACE ANGEL

  by Brendan Glanville

  I was driving through Brisbane, Australia, and I was late to hear a friend make a political speech for the Queensland government. Then I remembered that we could ask angels to find us a parking space. Immediately upon asking, I heard a voice say, Turn left, then left again. This actually sent me in the wrong direction, but I decided to trust it and follow the directions.

  Then I heard, Turn around. I did so immediately, into a driveway of a building. To my left, as if it was waiting for me, was a metered parking space. Then I realized that I’d forgotten my wallet in my haste, and I needed money for the parking meter. So I asked my angels for change, and when I opened my ashtray, I found the exact two coins that I needed for the meter. I was so excited upon walking into the meeting that I called my office and told my staff.

  Returning to my car after the speech, I said to the angels, “If any human needs a parking space, this one has time left on the meter, and that person can have it for free.” I got in my car, and before I even started it, a car came around the corner and waited until I pulled out of my space.

  PROTECTED FROM A TORNADO

  by Judy Mitchell

  In the spring of 1996, we were on a “tornado watch” where I lived in Allison, Arkansas. It was a hot, humid Sunday, and the sky was a greenish gray. Having recently moved to Arkansas from California, I was unfamiliar with tornadoes. I had seen an unusual thing in the sky the day before: a complete circular rainbow around the sun. I found out later that it’s called a sun dog, and it indicates severe weather.

  I was home babysitting a friend’s son. My 13-year-old foster daughter was with me, as well as my twins, who were 8, and they were all playing inside the historic old house we were renting. I received a phone call from a neighbor saying that there was a large tornado on the ground moving toward our home! She said we needed to take cover. Well, there was no basement, only a bathroom on an outside wall with a large window. I knew from what I had read that this was not sufficient protection.

  I told all the children to get their shoes on and get into the tub. The sky was growing darker and greener. I went outside to look, and there it was; I could hear it before I saw it. It was huge, spinning, and it was about a quarter mile from us. I ran back into the house to get to the children, and then everything went dark—all the electricity went off. The noise of the tornado approaching was so loud that it was almost unbearable. The house was actually vibrating.

  I got on my knees in the tub with the children, covering them with my arms. I told them not to listen to the noise, but to listen to me. I thought, We are going to die! I thought about my grown daughter in California and hated to think of her being left alone if we didn’t make it.

  I started praying and asked for assistance: Please make this tornado go up and over this house now. Then I mentally affirmed, We are protected. We are loved and protected now. I asked my mother, who had passed on, to help us. I told myself, We are not going to die; we are going to live. The louder the noise, the louder I prayed. The sounds were unbelievable, and the shaking was tremendous, but then it all slowly subsided. When it seemed safe, I looked out the window and all I could see was green fog. We were alive and unhurt! It had passed.

  Unfortunately, my neighbors were not so lucky. There was a total of six tornados at 7 P.M. that day in Allison. Nine people were killed, and many homes were destroyed. Part of my roof had been taken off, a brass bed had been thrown completely over our house, and the hubcaps on my car were sucked off. There were a number of houses where only the foundation still stood. Many people were in church that Sunday at that time of day, and they came home to find their houses gone. We did not have electricity or water for days, but we were alive.

  A man came up to me and said he saw the tornado sitting on my house like a hat, and he was sure we were all dead. Then he said it just took off up into the air. He said it was a miracle. It was—we were assisted by God and the angels. Another man saw the tornado hit our house, and he, too, had been sure we had all perished.

  This experience changed my life. I believe in prayer and know that you only need to ask. As for the children in the tub, I doubt if they will ever forget the experience, and they now know the power of prayer, as well as the importance of asking for protection.

  LOST AND FOUND

  by Bonnie Suzanne Koester

  I had taken both of my daughters and their friends out to dinner to celebrate my oldest daughter’s birthday. The restaurant was situated on the Houston Ship Channel and had a large lawn in between the water
and the building. We had a great meal, and after dinner, the girls ran and frolicked on the lawn before we left. As soon as we got into the car, my daughter’s friend exclaimed that she had lost her wallet with her driver’s license in it.

  The girls all got out of the car and started searching the lawn. It was very dark, so I parked so the headlights would shine on the lawn for them. It looked hopeless, like finding a needle in a haystack. As I sat in the car, I relaxed and asked my angels if they would please show me where the wallet was. I then saw a vision clearly in my mind’s eye. I saw the wallet behind me, beside the backseat, near the door.

  I got out of the car and opened the back door, fully expecting to see the wallet—that’s how clear the vision had been. But I couldn’t see it. It was pitch-black. I leaned closer, and then I saw a small glint of metal. I reached out, and it was the wallet! It was exactly where I’d envisioned it, even though I couldn’t see it with my physical eyes. That was weird and really cool!

  LOOK WHAT THE ANGELS DRAGGED IN!

  by Carol Czerniec

  A few years ago, I worked full-time, and my two children went to day care. My five-year-old son had a cat that he loved very much. She was fat and declawed, and we always kept her in the house. But occasionally, she would sneak out and hide under the juniper bushes, which were so sharp, sticky, and low to the ground that it was impossible to get her out.

  One morning I had the kids in the car ready to go, and I had to run back into the house for something I forgot. Sure enough, that cat darted out and into the bushes. We were already late, and I knew from experience that it would take hours to get her out. I couldn’t leave her there all day and risk something happening to her. My son would never forgive me!