Saturday, December 6, 2008

An Angel Story...With An Angle

Speaking of angels...I have one, last angel story. An angel story from a totally different "angle".

My family and I had enjoyed a wonderful ski vacation at Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The first and only one we've ever taken. No, I did not ski...well I tried but I could not stay out of that orange fence stuff that marks the ski trails...if you get my "drift", plus a tree got in my way, but I digress.

On returning home, we boarded a late flight out of Reno. It was jammed packed with people, but somehow we had managed to snag the first few seats, there was no first class section on this particular carrier.

The cabin was darkened, and many passengers were asleep, except for a few readers. It was turning out to be a pleasant flight, quiet, comfortable, engines humming and me with a good book to read.

About halfway through the flight, somewhere over Arizona maybe, I noticed an elderly lady make her way up the aisle. She was walking slowly and seemingly holding on firmly to each seat back as she made her way to the forward restroom, just a few feet or so from our seats.

As I watched her go into the bathroom, the nurse in me sensed that something was wrong, just not right, this lady was sick. The flight attendants seem to take no notice of her.

I wanted to get up and knock on the bathroom door, but thought better of it. She stayed in there, what seemed like a long time to me. Finally, she made her way out...hunched over and again holding on to things as if she might fall at any moment. Seemed she thought better of trying to make her way back to her seat, and sat down in the flight attendants jump seat,placing her head into her hands.

I could take it no longer, I got up and went over to her. Kneeling down in front her, I said "ma'me is there something wrong?", "can I help you?" She said she was suffering from severe air sickness, with nausea & vomiting. I went into the bathroom and got her some cool, wet paper towels.

Kneeling back down in front of her, I proceeded to wipe her brow and face with them, and then placed them in her hand for her to hold. And for the next several minutes,
I quietly just stayed there with her. She, sitting in the jump seat and myself kneeling there looking up at her.

Finally, she said she thought she would be ok and would try to make it back to her seat.

Before getting up, she looked down at me and said..."your an angel aren't you"? "You are one!" "I know you REALLY are one". Now, I could tell by the way she stated this, she was thinking I was a REAL angel. I felt really, really, strange. I wanted to say "oh no I'm not, just ask my husband right over there in that seat and he can testify that I"m no angel!"

But...I didn't want to steal her blessing. If it helped this elderly woman think she had been visited by an angel at 30,000 feet, then who was I to deny her of that?

Smiling, I just reached up and touched her gently on the cheek. I said, Ma'me I'm sitting right here, let me know if you need anything else.

And with that, she got up and made her way back to her seat and I mine. Me, still feeling very, very strange and perplexed by the encounter.

Me an angel? I know somewhere REAL angels were laughing!

"What is man, that thou art mindful of him?and the son of man, that thou visitest him?For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;thou hast put all things under his feet." Psalm 8: 4-6

Blessings, Peace, all good, MeMaw

8 comments:

Susan said...

Oh I love this story!!!!
Susan

Robbin said...

Well, I sort of tend to agree with her. You showed up for me just when I needed you and have never gone away since. So there!

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

who says you aren't an angel???

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Debra said...

Thanks everyone for your more than generous comments!

Brenda said...

What a beautiful story. And if it took your kind gesture to draw her closer to the Lord, then let her believe you were an angel!
My prayer is that my eyes will always be open to opportunity such as this to minister to someone.
God bless,
Brenda :)

Anonymous said...

I love you Mom, so sorry I don't feel well enough to write a long comment...but thanks for all you do for me... my angel came bearing a box fan into my hospital room...sat in the dark until I fell asleep, hugs and kisses Jen

Debra said...

I love you my daughter...I do.

Polly & Steve said...

What a lovely story, but God uses us when we are open to Him to help others, He spoke to you...so an Angel you are! God Bless you!
Polly