Thursday, November 20, 2008

Hard Hat & Orange Overalls: A True Angel Story

There has been a lot written, said, studied and preached, about angels being in our midst. Some believe in them, some do not. What does an angel look like? How do they minister to us? I have only two angle stories. This is one of them.

It was September 1975. I was a brand new christian and young mother. My daughter was 3 years old and my newborn baby son was about a month old. We had no money, none at all. And although my husband worked at the local shipyard, he made just enough to cover the bare essentials. We had an old piece of junk for a car and usually no money to put gas in it. My husband, too had recently become a christian and we were both believing that God would see us through these days of financial hardships. We had just started attending church on a regular basis in our new church home.

There came a very hot, humid September afternoon, when I had to take both children to town,by myself. On our return, it was peek rush hour traffic and crossing over the bridge there was only one lane open. Cars were bumper to bumper as far as the eye could see. As I looked toward the top of the bridge, I could see very hot, frustrated, construction workers, hurriedly trying to fix what was broken in the other lane.

I had not counted on idling in traffic for 30 minutes that day. My gas tank was empty and I was trying to get home before I ran out. My 3 year old had gotten very hot (did I mention no air conditioning?) and tired. The baby was crying too. As I finally made my way to the top, in the one lane that was open, closest to the frustrated construction workers, what I feared most happened.

I ran out of gas.

I began to cry along with the kids. I didn't know what I would do! I called on God to help me! I was fearful, scared, and completely overwhelmed. There were a lot of angry shipyard workers behind me trying to get home and now I would be the newest cause preventing that from happening, as I was in the only lane that was open...out of gas...on top the bridge... and no place to move over even if someone could push me.

Quickly, he appeared through the blazing sun. He wore an orange hard hat, orange overalls, & the friendliest face I've ever seen on a construction worker. "Miss, what is wrong?" he asked.Crying and yelling over the sound of honking horns and the noise of the construction, I told him my problem. He said, "wait just a minute". I thought in my panic he may be going to radio the police, but instead he came back with a gas can, and as quick as 1,2,3 had my car going.Thanking him profusely and moving as quickly as I could to get back in my car with the kids and get them off that bridge, he started to walk away, but then he turned around, doing a half jog, came back over to my car.

Bending down to eye level and leaning in just a little, he tapped my open window sill with his hand, smiled, and said... "I'll see ya in church on Sunday"!

And then he was gone, disappearing into the blinding afternoon sunlight setting over the bridge. I wanted to yell, "wait do I know you"? "come back just a second"! But my car was running and the entire shipyard was expecting me to "MOVE LADY!"

So, I did. And that was the day that I learned that angels sometimes where hard hats and orange overalls.


~~Hebrews 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

6 comments:

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

i love your angel story...

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

JC said...

Great story. I don't have an angel story but I know they are real.

Thanks for leaving a comment on Prayerfully Yours today.

BTW my Mama would have been 95 this year. I lost her in years ago and my Dad when I was 11. You are so right grief never goes away; you just learn to live with it. The successful learn to do that without getting stuck in the past.

You have a great site, I'll visit often.

Maxine said...

What a neat story! You never know!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely believe in angels...what beautiful posts you have been making...currently talking to you about my dilema..so will post more later, Love you Jen

Susan said...

An angel in deed!!! What a blessed story. I love angels. If you've visited my blog much you know that :o) Be sure and read my "Littlest Angel Story" on my side bar.
Susan

j said...

WOW!! The goose bumps are rolling! What an amazing story.