Not Forsaken
Illustration
Stories
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. (vv. 9-10)
People send me stories about angels they have seen. The one I am about to share is not like any I have heard before. It conveys a powerful truth, the same truth we find in Mark’s Gospel account of the angel at the tomb on Easter morning.
In this case, a mother prays desperately for a sick child. Like the women who went to the tomb with trepidation, she looks fearfully into her infant daughter’s bedroom – and sees something that changes her life forever. It is her personal Easter morning.
Jennifer Ruggiero teaches third grade in Souderton, PA; she has three children and three master’s degrees in education.
Jennifer wrote: "Our middle son caught the swine flu from a neighbor and gave it to our oldest, my husband, our ten-month-old, and then finally to me. I remember throwing up while cleaning after one of them. I usually pray at night, right before I fall asleep. I remember feeling like I was losing the clean-up battle while praying so hard that our youngest child did not catch this awful flu, since she was just so little.
“I had gone into her crib to check on her late one night and remember how hot the room felt as soon as I walked in. Her fever had spiked to 103/104 and her cheeks were so red. I remember praying, asking for God to send me an angel to watch over her. I needed one of them to take the next hour or two so I could rest for just a bit. I went back to my room and slept for an hour.
“When I returned to check on her I saw a soft light coming from her room. It appeared to be different, almost cream colored, when I stepped closer. As I gently opened the door… I saw a vision I will never forget.
“My late brother was standing next to her crib, wings out surrounding the one side of the crib, glowing/shining/emitting gentle light. I felt an incredible sense of calmness as I stood in the doorway watching him protect our baby. He looked almost completely white, with an aura of cream beams coming out from everywhere. I could tell it was my brother because I could see his face. He was quiet and we did not speak. He had been watching over, facing her, until I walked in the doorway. His face turned so I could see him, but his body stayed towards our daughter.
“The baby slept so peacefully, and her cheeks did not appear to be red any more from where I was standing. I did not enter the room. I stepped backwards and out of the room and went back to mine. I did not want to disturb them and felt as though she was in good hands. I thanked him through prayer for watching over her while I went back to sleep for another hour or two. When I awoke and went to check on her, she did not have a fever anymore and the flu had passed."
The women who looked into the tomb on Sunday morning and saw an angel, quite in contrast to Jennifer Ruggiero, were not reassured. They were terrified by what they saw and heard. And unlike Jennifer, who until now has only told her story to a few family members and trusted friends, they bolted from the tomb and said nothing to anyone.
If you saw and heard an angel, would you respond like Jennifer or like the first century women who came looking for Jesus’ body?
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. (vv. 9-10)
People send me stories about angels they have seen. The one I am about to share is not like any I have heard before. It conveys a powerful truth, the same truth we find in Mark’s Gospel account of the angel at the tomb on Easter morning.
In this case, a mother prays desperately for a sick child. Like the women who went to the tomb with trepidation, she looks fearfully into her infant daughter’s bedroom – and sees something that changes her life forever. It is her personal Easter morning.
Jennifer Ruggiero teaches third grade in Souderton, PA; she has three children and three master’s degrees in education.
Jennifer wrote: "Our middle son caught the swine flu from a neighbor and gave it to our oldest, my husband, our ten-month-old, and then finally to me. I remember throwing up while cleaning after one of them. I usually pray at night, right before I fall asleep. I remember feeling like I was losing the clean-up battle while praying so hard that our youngest child did not catch this awful flu, since she was just so little.
“I had gone into her crib to check on her late one night and remember how hot the room felt as soon as I walked in. Her fever had spiked to 103/104 and her cheeks were so red. I remember praying, asking for God to send me an angel to watch over her. I needed one of them to take the next hour or two so I could rest for just a bit. I went back to my room and slept for an hour.
“When I returned to check on her I saw a soft light coming from her room. It appeared to be different, almost cream colored, when I stepped closer. As I gently opened the door… I saw a vision I will never forget.
“My late brother was standing next to her crib, wings out surrounding the one side of the crib, glowing/shining/emitting gentle light. I felt an incredible sense of calmness as I stood in the doorway watching him protect our baby. He looked almost completely white, with an aura of cream beams coming out from everywhere. I could tell it was my brother because I could see his face. He was quiet and we did not speak. He had been watching over, facing her, until I walked in the doorway. His face turned so I could see him, but his body stayed towards our daughter.
“The baby slept so peacefully, and her cheeks did not appear to be red any more from where I was standing. I did not enter the room. I stepped backwards and out of the room and went back to mine. I did not want to disturb them and felt as though she was in good hands. I thanked him through prayer for watching over her while I went back to sleep for another hour or two. When I awoke and went to check on her, she did not have a fever anymore and the flu had passed."
The women who looked into the tomb on Sunday morning and saw an angel, quite in contrast to Jennifer Ruggiero, were not reassured. They were terrified by what they saw and heard. And unlike Jennifer, who until now has only told her story to a few family members and trusted friends, they bolted from the tomb and said nothing to anyone.
If you saw and heard an angel, would you respond like Jennifer or like the first century women who came looking for Jesus’ body?
