“No, Lucifer knows they would quickly be destroyed if they tried anything here. The Guardians have been ordered to stand guard from the time of the great rebellion. That’s when a third of the angels were deceived by Lucifer and he convinced the fallen angels to follow him. From that single rebellion we honor God in this way. We will stand guard until the end of days on Earth.”
Overlooking this valley that’s hidden down inside of this beautiful mountain, I can see what looks like thousands upon thousands of Angels. This picture reminds me of vast armies marching, preparing for battle. I notice several hundred are gliding above the multitudes, and as they circle, several turn and fly away completely out of sight.
On the other side of the valley, I could see a giant herd of horses; some were saddled and appeared to be adorned with armor, ready for battle, others peacefully grazing.
In the center of this great valley stood a giant portal resembling the ones we’ve passed through. However, this one looks like it’s ten times larger - large enough for legions of Angels to freely pass through at a moment’s notice.
“Uriel, it looks like they’re preparing for battle.”
“Yes, they know not the hour, but they see the signs and know it draws near.”
“What draws near, the final battle, THE Armageddon battle?”
“Yes, and the seven years of tribulation is about to begin. These Angels you see are patiently waiting on Gabriel and Michael to give them orders from God. They are listening for the sounds of the trumpets.”
“You mean the trumpets that God had John the Revelator write about in the Bible?”
“Yes, there will be seven seals opened and seven trumpets will sound. This will signal these legions of Angels to ride through the portals preparing for the final battle. At the last trumpet God will separate the wheat from the tares, saving His children and allowing the ones who have rejected Christ to remain and drink from the cup of damnation and destruction. The Antichrist will deceive the Nations as he stands on the temple mount and claims to be god; I say woe to the inhabitants of the Earth. This is called the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION!”
“Wow Uriel, when you put it like that, it really sounds like it’s about to go down!”
“That’s right, it seems we are in the final days, and I’m starting to believe God has a plan to use you somehow in the midst of all this for some kind of last warning.”
“Well, I’ll be glad when the big mystery is revealed!”
I look back over this awesome scene one last time before heading back down the path, thinking if folks back on Earth could see what I’m seeing and know what’s coming in the near future they would tremble in fear!
As we mount back up, “Hey Uriel.”
“Yeah bud, what’s on your mind?”
“The Angels back there that were circling overhead, I noticed every so often you would see one or two head out in different directions away from the Stronghold. Where were they going?”
“I don’t know, they could be headed anywhere, some bound for the city of God, or just decided to fly around enjoying Heaven. Chado, you do know the Angels have free rein and can travel anywhere they want. Well, as long as they’re off duty.”
“Do they ever go visit with the people, just say like my Granny or Pop?”
“Absolutely, we enjoy hanging out with the folks. We play sports, go fishing; actually God wants us to do all kinds of fun stuff with the people of Heaven. I went swimming with you twice.”
We both chuckle, “That’s right, I have to apologize Uriel. We’ve been together so long I don’t even think of you as an Angel, but more like a best friend. You know Heaven just keeps getting better. It’s nothing like palling around with my Guardian Angel. Hey, you know John the Baptist? ”
“Sure, I know John.”
“Well, I guess you would, my bad. Anyway when I first got to Tabula Rasa he hinted around about playing baseball. Allayer and Nipper said he was a strikeout king. You think we all might get to play a little hardball?”
“Chado, baseball needs to be the last thing on your mind right now, remember you have eternity for all that.”
“Okay, got it.”
* * *
We make it back to the bridge, taking in more beauty as we cross over. As usual, Moushie and Rex are still leading the way.
“Uriel, you think my two dogs know where they’re going?”
“Yes, they’ve made this trip many times with your dad.”
“You know, I didn’t even ask Pop if he had seen Summer.”
“Oh yeah, he makes that trip quite often. Your dad is pretty good with those kids. They love him to come and tell his silly stories.”
“Wow, my pop telling stories to kids in Heaven, I wish my mom could see that, it would warm her heart.”
“Not to scare you, but I believe she’s scheduled to be here pretty soon.”
“Well Uriel, that news makes me feel pretty good. Before I got killed she was always having heart problems, hip problems, well you get the picture. Knowing when she gets here, all her pain will be gone and her age clock starts going backward, getting younger by the second. That’s going to be awesome!
“Hey Chado, I wonder if she’ll like Cuddles the grizzly?”
We both laugh, as we finally reach the other side of the lake.
“Uriel, I wonder if Dad and Spike might try to get her to walk inside Cuddles den without any light. ”
“Probably not, but I wouldn’t put it past your silly pop.”
Both horses come to a stop as we hear singing coming from the woods to our left. Moushie and Rex turn, looking back to get permission to go investigate. “Go ahead, you can go.” Like a flash they disappear into the forest.
With the sweet sounds of singing getting closer, I see a few glimpses of something white. To our surprise, three little girls appear from behind the redwoods, each one holding a lead rope attached to a sheep. The sheep had tiny bells hanging from their necks and the trotting and movement of each, caused the bells to chime. The beauty of this trio was that the bells seem to be in perfect time with the voices of this three part harmony. We continued to sit in our saddles and enjoy a concert as the forest turned white with hundreds of sheep all following the three precious little girls. We remained until they went out of hearing distance.
Uriel looks over at me, “Now wasn’t that a treat.”
“Unbelievable, I can’t get over the constant blessings here in Heaven.”
After our roadside entertainment had moved on, Moushie and Rex rejoin us as we make our way further down the road.
* * *
“Uriel, you ready for another story?”
“Sure why not, we probably have time.”
“Okay, anything particular you have in mind?”
“Chado, I have three different stories and I want you to choose which of the three. The first to choose from is the time when you were on a pipeline project in Utah. The blasting crews were using dynamite to blow up the side of the mountain, and they didn’t have barricades or warning signs up; you drove your ATV right in the mix just seconds before it went off.”
“Oh yeah, I remember that day. I had just knocked off from work and was hauling butt on my four-wheeler back down the right-of-way. I was heading for my truck that was parked at the bottom of the mountain. It was so steep and rocky we had to use ATV’s to access the pipeline right-of-way. Traveling at mach-1, I topped a steep ledge and had to slam on the brakes, sliding right up in the middle of a blasting area. Their fuses were laced across the rock, all leading to the drilled holes for the explosives. At that point I was thinking, ‘I am about to die!’ The men in the blasting crew were shouting, ‘Get out of there! It’s about to blow!’ Yep, that was a close call for sure.”
“Chado, the second one, you were in Charlotte North Carolina at that all night diner when those two guys tried to kill you. The third story, you were working as a diver involved in setting a rig platform in three hundred feet of water when that big storm came in
.”
“Wow Uriel, those were some scary times!”
“Chado, you are aware that each event I mentioned, you would have been killed if God wouldn’t have had me there protecting you.”
“I would have died?”
“Yes, and here’s the scary thing, the ones I mentioned are only a few, there have been many times.”
“Uriel, I feel like stopping Hollywood jumping over and hugging you.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m not what you would call a huggy kind of Warrior Angel, if you know what I mean.”
“I understand, I just don’t know how to thank someone for saving my life over and over.”
“Hey bud, I was just doing my job, and yours was a little more complicated since Lucifer had a bull’s-eye on your soul. Look, you just complete your mission and that will be thanks enough. ”
“Okay, well which one of the three incidents caused you to receive the most injuries?”
“In two of the three incidents, I didn’t get injured at all. The one that I carry the scars from was number two, North Carolina. That was a rough night in Charlotte.”
“Where do I begin?”
“You choose, it’s your story.”
* * *
“Okay. Well I guess I’ll start with the date. It was August 26th 1992; I remember because it was the day after my birthday and Hurricane Andrew came right through Lafayette, Louisiana. This is where we were living at the time, and right in the midst of the storm I received a call from my boss, Bo Jangles. He wanted me in Charlotte, North Carolina immediately. I wouldn’t have deserted my family in the middle of a hurricane, but we were almost dead broke and the brick home we lived in was on high ground and the winds were under a hundred miles an hour so my wife and I made the decision. I threw my duffel bag on the passenger side of the floorboard, kissed the wife and kids good bye and hit the road.
It seemed like the storm followed me all the way to the Carolinas. Bo gave me orders to go to the North side of Charlotte, call him when I got there and he would come meet me. He mentioned it was a secluded location and would be easier if he guided me in.
I drove straight through without stopping other than fueling and the occasional bathroom break. Not realizing what time I would arrive, I ended up rolling into Charlotte around three a.m.
Not wanting to call my boss that early, I pulled in at an all-night waffle house at the Sugar Creek exit. It looked like a nice area due to the major motels scattered on each side of the interstate, and I felt this would be a safe place to kill a couple hours. My plan was to call Bo around five a.m. and let him know I was in Charlotte.
As I got out of my truck, I noticed an elderly man was making his way to the door of the diner. ‘Hello there young man, I see you have a bicycle in your truck.’
‘Yes sir, I carry it along with me on my jobs, you know, trying to stay in shape.’
‘Well young man, you better lock it up, this is a bad area and it might not be there when you come back out.’
I chuckle, ‘Oh, nobody would want that ole thing.’
I held the door open for the old gentlemen and was thinking, surely, it’s not that bad around here.
As I walked in, I chose a seat near the grill thinking I might save the waitress a few steps while they waited on me. After ordering a cup of coffee and looking over their menu, I couldn’t help but hear the conversations between two waitresses and the cook. They were talking about drug deals openly going down in the parking lot, and one of the ladies that worked there had been molested.
I’m thinking, there’s no way it could be that bad here, surely not with the nice motels and everything so manicured and clean outside, they must be talking about another location.’
After I order my food, a pretty young brown-skinned girl that was serving the old man at the far end of the diner, came over and started asking very strange questions. ‘Hey mister, are you traveling by yourself?’
‘Yep, right by myself.’
‘You worried?’
‘Worried, what do you mean worried? I drove in from Louisiana and I’m pretty tired, but I’m not worried about anything.’
I noticed she had a funny look on her face as she turned away making a humming sound, then telling the lead waitress that she needed to use the pay phone.
The waitress replied, ‘There’s the phone right there, go ahead.’
‘It’s long distance, I’ll use the pay phone outside.’
Now I’m thinking something is a little fishy here. Even the lady waiting on me got quiet. My waitress reaches over, refilling my cup of coffee as I hear the cook, ‘Order up.’ She turned grabbed my food sliding the plate over without saying anything. At that point, I should have thrown a few bucks down and got the heck out of there, but I decided to go ahead and eat.
Right before I finished my meal, two black guys walked through the door. As they walked passed me I smiled and spoke, ‘How you guys doing?’ Their response was a cold stare. They both sat down in the booth directly behind me. I hear the waitress, ‘What can I get for you fellows?’
‘We don’t want anything.’
‘Well what about a nice hot cup of coffee?’
‘I said we don’t want anything; do you hear what I’m telling you?’
The kind waitress quickly walked away and headed to the other end of the grill.
I felt something telling me, ‘Get out of here as fast as you can.’ That strong sense of fear drove me out of my chair. I stepped up to the register and as I waited on my change, out of the corner of my eye I could see both guys staring at me like an animal waiting on its prey.
As soon as I turned for the door, they both followed behind me. My truck was parked across the drive in front of the very pay phone that young waitress used to call these monsters. It’s no doubt this is a set up, and they are going to rob me or maybe even kill me. Without wasting any time, I quickly walked across the drive, already having keys in hand ready to unlock my truck, with both guys about ten feet behind me.
‘Hey boy, you a cop? You look like a cop. ’
My truck was a 1991 single cab pickup, with no power door locks, the extra few seconds fumbling around with keys getting my door unlocked could be the end for me.
As they were getting closer, still talking trash, I suddenly remember my 10mm pistol is lying on top of my clothes inside the army duffle bag over on the passenger side.
I tricked both guys, acting like I was sticking the key in the driver’s side lock. They got a bit closer and I darted like a rabbit around the front of my truck with both gangsters laughing. ‘Where do you think you’re going, you don’t have anywhere to run boy.’
With much pride and being so sure of themselves, they didn’t try to catch me; they just slowly walked around my truck still running their mouths.
That’s all I needed, just a few extra seconds. I hit the key hole perfectly on the passenger door, twisted the key, I hear the lock pop. I yanked the door open, reached down, and unzipped the bag. There it was, my Colt auto 10mm lying right on top of the clothes, exactly where I placed it, as I said good bye to my family back home. I leaned back between the seat and door frame, as I quickly swung around at the same time pulling the slide back as I chambered a round.
They both recognized the sound as they were only a couple feet away on the opposite side of the door. I have now zeroed in on the chest of the louder, and probably the dominant one of the two bad guys. With this action and now having the upper hand, they both back away very angry, edging toward the diner entrance. They both continue their street slang cursing at me, ‘You got yo blank-blank gun with you!’
Hearing them repeat this over and over I notice the one that I had in my sights, he pulls out what looked like a Berretta pistol. The outlaw tries to be cool and holds his weapon gangster-style off to the side. As I’m leaning against my truck holding my pistol with both hands one eye closed, and a fine bead on his chest, I break silence. ‘You point that gun at me and I will kill you where you stand,
you sorry sucker!’
At that very moment I almost pulled the trigger, and would have, if he had pointed his pistol in my direction. Something deep down inside was telling me, ‘Chado, you’re from another state, if you kill him you’ll go to jail. Don’t do it, it’s not worth it.’
As they continued talking trash I respond, ‘That’s just the way it is, that’s just… the way it is.’
They both got real quiet for a few seconds, and then finally retreated to their car. They watched me scramble across the seat, drive out of the parking lot, and no sooner than when I pressed the throttle on my diesel truck, the chase was on. Not knowing where to go in this unfamiliar town, I just took off mashing the pedal to the floor trying to outrun these outlaws. Diesel trucks were made for pulling. not for running for your life.
As I see the sports car gaining on me, I knew if they got close enough, his passenger would surely try and get a shot through the window. I slid down in the seat as far as I could get to still see over the dash with my foot pressed as hard against the pedal as possible. In a short distance ahead I see a split in the road. This might be my only hope. If I can manage to force these guys to go left, I might make it out of this alive. With my position hunkered down in the seat I can’t see out of my mirrors, but I can now hear the motor of their car through my open window. I position my pistol pointing in their direction, ready to at least shoot back if they open fire. They are gaining on me, out of the corner of my eye their front bumper appears, edging closer, now almost even with my door.
Our speed now is just under a hundred miles an hour as we bounce down through the back streets of Charlotte. As we get closer to the fork in the road, I slowly edge over, pushing their car as far to the left as possible. At the last second I whipped my truck over to the right missing the barricades only by inches. Taking no chances, I quickly made my way back to the safety of I-85.
A few days later, one of the older operators working on the pipeline invited me over for dinner. As we were enjoying each other’s company, Mr. Miller’s wife asked me if I had seen the news. ‘No Ma’am, I haven’t.’ In her thick Tennessee drawl, Mrs. Miller responded, ‘Well Chado, you know down there at that waffle house at the Sugar Creek exit? Well there was a man talking on that pay phone you told us about there in front of that diner. The news folks on TV claimed some thugs shot and killed him. They took his vehicle and everything he had. You reckon that might have been those same two guys that tried to get you?’ “
Scars of My Guardian Angel Page 24
