An Angel’s Touch—part 2

Before I was lifted out of the car, I felt little footsteps going across my back and saw Sparkles, our bichon frise pet dog, frantically dash out my window. The sweet lady who had spoken to me a moment earlier returned and assured me that she would care for Sparkles and bring her to the hospital. Another angel touch?

The next thing I knew, strong hands lifted me through the jagged glass, gently placing me on the ground. An angel? (No one in the crowd seemed to know him.) Blood trickled down my face and into my hair. My head ached from repeatedly hitting the steering wheel as our car had rolled. Someone else thoughtfully held an umbrella over my head.

My husband, Verne, also extricated from the car now, wandered about in a daze, losing blood from an injured hand. He spotted my purse resting under a bush and his glasses nearby. God’s touch in the details! The emergency room doctor was sure that I had internal injuries after hearing the report from the responding highway patrol officers. He examined me three times before having me wheeled away for X-rays. The officers said they’d never seen anyone walk away from our type of accident and had certainly never seen an animal survive. Yet our beloved Sparkles didn’t have even a scratch on her little furry body—another evidence of God’s care. And little did we know that many kind residents of the Illinois Valley were bringing garbage bags to pick up for us as many of our things as they could find, along with more than two hundred anniversary reception invitations that had been tossed and scattered everywhere!

That Sabbath, my dear husband, a retired pastor, and I preached the sermon. It turned into a praise service as the congregation viewed our black eyes and bruised faces. The crushed Jeep was the least of our worries as we praised God for angels shielding us from the jaws of death.

The photo of our crushed vehicle appeared on the front page of the city newspaper. We now have that picture on our refrigerator as a constant reminder of God’s love and care through His angels. Let it also remind you that when you are in the most desperate of circumstances, Jesus will touch you with assurance and strength, which you will notice—even in the details.

Patty L. Hyland