Every Day Angels

Several times in the past few weeks, Lily Kate has randomly told us that when you die, you go to heaven and turn into an angel.  I don't have the heart to tell her that she will still be her same old self when she goes to heaven, so I let her innocent little mind believe what she wants.  Sometimes I can't believe I am even having that conversation with my 4-year-old, so I will quickly tell her that that won't happen for a really long time.  "Like when I'm 100?" Yes, darlin'...I'm hoping you are 100!

I've always believed in angels.  In fact, I saw one when I was 5 or 6.  It was my mother's mother (Mamaw), standing in my Mom's bedroom in a blue dress.  She woke me up and I sat up and described her perfectly to my Mom...even having never seen her in "real life". I remember her smiling at me like it was yesterday. I can't remember what she said or what made her visit me at that time, I just remember her being there.  The truth is, they are probably all around us, every day. We just don't notice every day angels too often, especially when you've been driving by the same homeless man for the past six months or so.  He is always in the same spot, with the same worn out jeans on. A backpack with contents I've always wondered about.  His cardboard signs reads "in need of a blessing"...He is young.  Maybe late twenties. Truthfully, I've always felt like he should get a job.  I mean, it has been months and he is still standing at a busy intersection waiting for someone to hand him money.  I've actually given it to him a few times.  I guess I figured I would never really know what a few more bucks in his pocket might mean. Dinner that night? Diapers for his kids? I had only hoped it was spent on something he truly needed. But, if he has time to stand on the side of the road for hours on end, he obviously needs it more than I do.

The other day, I saw the same man walking through the parking lot when I was pulling out of Bruegger's. I recognized him immediately, of course.  Out of selfish curiosity, I wanted to follow him.  I just knew he was going to get in his flashy car and drive off and all of my secret preconceived notions of him were going to be proved right. I literally turned the corner to do so and he was gone.  There was absolutely no way for him to get out of the parking lot without passing me.  There were trees behind the parking lot, but because of the winter bitterness, I could see right through them.  He was nowhere to be seen. He literally vanished. I smiled and thanked God for that moment.  It was a gentle reminder that angels still exist and my money had gone right where it needed to be.