Encounter with a Guardian Angel

A relative of mine told me of an encounter he had with an angel.  He was at sea sailing from the Bahamas to Florida.  This passage from his letter sets the stage for the surprise encounter:  “The lights of Freeport had long disappeared.  It was a gorgeous night as the sailboat was responding to the balmy southeast breeze, moving smoothly and quietly through the water.  Down below in the cabin, all the guests were sleeping soundly.  As the autopilot handled the boat, I fought off fatigue by searching the horizon for signs of human kind.  Occasionally a wave splashed over the bow and the water, full of phosphorus, glowing in an eerie way as it made its way down the boat and dripped back into the ocean.  I was comfortable, lying partially down in the cockpit with my head propped on a pillow and positioned with a clear view of the water ahead as well as the boat’s instruments.  The Dramamine taken hours earlier added to my comfort but had not caused any drowsiness.  A check of the instruments reflected we were about 50-nautical miles northeast of Miami and moving at a speed of 5-knots.  The time was 3 AM in the morning.”

Then he penned this incredible narration of what happened next: “ I turned to one side and there stood Henry Braswell, your uncle, who had been dead for over 20-years.  He was dressed in dark pants and white shirt.  He revealed he was my guardian angel and related that he had been with me at the bar back in Freeport where a huge Bahamian had violently attacked a friend of mine.  I had interceded to keep the Bahamian from doing bodily harm to my friend.  When the large man came toward me in great anger, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.  At the time I didn’t know why.  But, now I knew.  Henry Braswell was standing behind me.  And believe me no one would want to contend with Henry Braswell in a bar room as a real man or an angel.”

My relative then recounted this conversation with my Uncle Henry:  “ He told me that your mother and daddy were very happy with their assignments in heaven.  Henry stated that your mother was in charge of welcoming women to heaven who earlier had lost their husbands and had encountered the same problems and illnesses that she had on earth.  He continued that your father, who had mechanical knowledge and was fascinated with scientific advancements, was working with computers in heaven.  As Henry was speaking of the beauty of heaven, I heard a loud splash that startled me.  I shrieked, ‘ Henry, that was a big fish!’  But suddenly I was alone.  Henry Braswell was gone.  The ship’s clock now read 4:02 A.M.  Was I dreaming?  I honestly don’t know, but this was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.”

The Bible speaks of different categories of angels: seraphim that attend the throne of God, cherubim who guard the entrance to the tree of life, archangels like Michael, messengers of God such as Gabriel who proclaimed Jesus’ birth and guardian angels who assist, protect and deliver God’s people.  I have felt the presence of angels when I watched my grandmother Powell breathe her last, when my mother slipped into eternity, and when heaven’s chariots came for my beloved wife Beverly. Jesus said that resurrected believers will “become as the angels of God in heaven.”(Matt 22: 30)