In 2008, my oldest son and I flew to North Carolina to celebrate my brother’s fiftieth birthday, leaving my husband and youngest at home. On a layover in Nashville, Tennessee, I called to check how things were going back home. Expecting a quiet day, my heart started pounding at what had transpired in such a short time.
To start with, my husband had unwisely put cedar branches into the fireplace, causing the chimney to catch fire. Fortunately, the fire was contained before the house burned down. The only real victim was our trampoline that had to be replaced due to the shower of sparks from the chimney. It was when my husband went to investigate the front of the house that he discovered a much bigger drama unfolding next door.
There he was met by an undercover officer that informed him that a raid had just gone down next door. The officers had waited for one of the suspects to go into the garage, where they could move in and arrest the occupants without incident. We knew questionable things were occurring just by the daily traffic, but we had no idea the magnitude of the operation. No need to go into detail, but to show you how bad it was, the officer warned my husband that these guys would be getting out of jail the next day and would not be able to be evicted from the home for 30 days. Therefore, it would be in our best interest to keep our doors locked and our blinds closed at all times until the eviction was complete. If we needed to leave the premises, he suggested we not hang around outside but exit and enter the house quickly. Even though we live in a nice neighborhood, we learned we’re not immune from trouble.
As my husband got me up to speed, my thoughts went to my nine-year-old autistic son who was at home. Fear gripped me. I didn’t know if we should turn around and fly back home or continue as planned. Of course, the firebug felt confident that everything would be fine. He assured me that they would hunker down in the house, while keeping a low profile. We had a bit of a layover so I told him that I needed some time to think things through. I would call him back when I could breathe again.
When I hung up, my heart was racing. I just wanted to run home and gather my family and hold them close. My mind was consumed with thoughts of what could have happened. What if the swat team had had to go in with guns blazing? What if the arrested thought we were the ones that called the police? Would they retaliate? Was my husband and son in danger? It was all I could do to not fall apart right there in the airport.
I caught my breath, closed my eyes, and started to pray. But before I could even say a word, I saw my house. It’s not what I would call a vision, but it seemed so real. The blinds were closed and the garage door that is normally open on the weekends was closed. But there was more. I saw rows of figures going around the house, each row alternating directions. When I focused in, I realized that it was rows of angels circling our home. They were beautiful. I also noticed there were places in the rows where angels were missing. As I watched, an angel would come in and fill the void. There were not that many empty spaces, but even though the angels kept coming, the spaces would never fill. Something deep within me told me that these angels were protecting our home. I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace that they would remain there as long as necessary. It didn’t take long to get it through my head that God was taking care of my family. I didn’t need to return home. So, my son and I decided to continue with our travels. After we left the airport, I never could envision the angels again, but I felt their presence.
I came to a conclusion later concerning the mystery of the angels filling the gaps. At the time, I was teaching a women’s Bible study. During our last meeting, I had asked the ladies to pray for us over the weekend. I had never been separated from Matthew, and Todd had not been alone with Matthew for that long of period before. I asked the members that whenever they thought of my family to pray for us. Of course, they had no idea what was happening that weekend at the house, but those angels filling in those gaps represented different ladies praying for us as they went about their day. Each angel was a prayer for our protection.
Since that day, I don’t mind admitting that I continue to ask God to keep His angels around our house to protect us. Psalm 34:7 states, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.” Another verse in Psalms reads, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (91:11). It’s caused me to ask for protection in a different way now. On our trips to Florida, before we leave, we ask that God would send His angels and place them around the car to protect us. I do not believe angels are magical or have any power except for what the Lord gives them. As Scripture states, the angels are His to command and to direct in protecting. But I must admit since that day, I’ve pictured angels around our home and have continued to sense their presence.