I woke up this morning with the Christmas song “Angels Among Us” running through my head. I guess that shouldn’t be so surprising with us being in the midst of the Christmas season. I have also been thinking about my mom quite a bit, which is also not surprising, as I near my first Christmas without her.
Perhaps it was the combination of these things that led me to remember this story:
It has been many years since my mom had her knee replacement surgery. I recall that my sister and I were very concerned about her recovery. She was quite compromised physically due to Parkinsons disease, but the deterioration of her knee was causing her a great deal of pain. After many discussions among my mom, sister and me and also with my mom’s physicians, the decision was made to proceed with the knee replacement.
Mom chose to have her surgery at a hospital in Weston. Her physicians advised when she was discharged from the Weston hospital she would be admitted to inpatient rehabilitation at the hospital in Bridgeport. She would spend a couple weeks at inpatient rehab while doing her physical therapy and recovering before her return home. We were all onboard with the plan, but inwardly, I was very concerned about how I would transport her from the hospital in Weston to the hospital in Bridgeport. It was a nagging thought in the back of my mind, but I had more immediate things to be concerned with, so I let that worry rest.
The surgery went well and Mom was a trooper doing the hard work toward recovery. The day of her discharge arrived and I had a huge pit in my stomach. I am very much the planner and I had no plan! The staff at the Weston hospital was wonderful and kind in assisting (literally loading) my mom into my car. I had seen the difficult time mom had getting into my car and my mind began racing…..what if there wasn’t anywhere close to pull up near the entrance…..I would need to run inside the hospital and grab a wheelchair…..how would I get her out of the car and into the wheelchair…..where would I leave her while I parked the car…..maybe I should take her inside and then park the car…..the rehab wing was on the third floor, could I leave my car in front of the hospital that long…..oh, how would I get her out of the car without hurting her.
My mind was in a whirlwind with no good solution…..so I began to pray. I prayed fervently during that 45-minute drive…..Oh, Lord Jesus, how do I do this?
As we pulled up to the hospital in Bridgeport, I noticed a car had just pulled away leaving a spot right in front of the entrance walkway. I pulled into the spot, sighed, and thought “here we go”. I got out and as I came around the back of the car to mom’s door, I noticed a young lady (maybe mid to late 20’s) dressed in scrubs standing in the walkway. She was literally just standing there enjoying the day. I felt a nudging and so I called to her. I asked her if she would mind helping me. She walked to the car and I explained my mom had just been discharged from knee replacement surgery and I needed to get her inside to be admitted to inpatient rehab. I asked her if she would be able to help me get her into a wheelchair. The young lady smiled and said, “Oh, I can help you with that. I just stepped outside to get some air.” As I thanked her, and tears filled my eyes, we noticed a wheelchair sitting not five feet away.
With her help, mom was successfully moved from the car to the wheelchair, and I thanked her for her kindness. She then said, “Why don’t you go park your car and I will be happy to take your mom upstairs and get her check in started.” Tears again filled my eyes and I thought “I can’t let this moment go”. I looked her directly in the eyes and said, “You know, God used you today.” She looked at me quizzically. I explained, “I didn’t know how I was going to manage getting my mom inside. I prayed about it during the drive and here you are”. Her expression changed…..I could see in her eyes that her mind was saying, “hmmm”, she gave me the tiniest of nods, and started with my mom to the door.
As I parked my car, I thanked the Lord for answering my prayer…..for going before me…..for placing an “angel” in my path…..and for looking after my sweet mother.
I have often wondered what the young lady’s thoughts were……did she believe that she was placed there for a purpose…..was she a believer at all…..did she just think that I had lost my mind…..did my words come back to her…..did she think about it later…..did she question why she happened to be outside at that particular time…..did she feel a peace knowing that she helped someone…..did she thank God for using her.
Yes, I believe there are angels among us. Heavenly angels, but also those individuals among us who God chooses to use. Think about it…..I am sure you can think of a time that an angel crossed your path. And yes…..perhaps……God has used you to be someone else’s angel.
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone – Psalm 91:11-12
(originally written 12/17/2021
