Bastica

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Must be Angels

One of the women in my Tuesday Bible Study group told an amazing story last week. I will try my best to repeat the story and do it justice.
Her husband was in the hospital for several days. The doctor ordered him to be on some machine for four days. After the third day the doctor changed his mind and let it be known that they would go ahead and take him off. A male nurse told him that if he did that the patient would develop a blood clot and die. The doctor was all "Um, I'm the doctor, I think I know best." The nurse got a text book and showed him where he got his information. The doctor admitted he was right and left the patient as he was.
The next day the man's wife brought cookies, balloons and flowers to give to this wonderful nurse who had saved her husbands life. No one knew who she was talking about!! She described the man to several hospital employees and no one knew him! I want to ask her next Tuesday about the Doctor. I don't' remember if she said he remembered the nurse or not.
I was updating my book inventory last night (I sell books at half.com) when I found a book about angels. Hmmmm. It turns out that it is written by a Bible believing Christian. She is a Brit who went about the task of collecting stories of angel encounters that lined up with what the Bible teaches. I've only read the first two chapters. They are full of stories like the one my Bible Study friend told. Many of the stories involved bright lights and disembodied voices. Some saw angels over 8 feet tall with swords and brilliant robes and wings. As I was reading all these stories I started to be a little freaked out that an angel was going to appear to me any second! I was touched that many of the encounters happened after a desperate prayer and in desperate circumstances. My faith is strengthened.
It's weird that most Christians don't talk about or think about angels very much. The Bible is clear about them working in our lives. There seems to be physical evidence to back it up. Many people keep their encounters to themselves for fear of ridicule and unbelief. I know our focus needs to be first on Christ, on things above, on the kingdom, on eternity etc. I want to have a healthy, balanced mindset about angels.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Two Thumbs Down

I did something tonight I swore I'd never do. I picked up a hitchhiker. Admittedly, she wasn't sticking her thumb out but as I pulled up to the red light she flagged me down. I rolled my window down an inch. "Can you give me a ride up the hill?" she asked. She seemed harmless and it was a short ride so I said "Sure" and opened the door.
I should note that I work for a nonprofit in one of Cincinnati's worst neighborhoods. I was just a block from work when I encountered this stranger.
As she entered my car a terrible odor entered with her. I rolled down my window the rest of the way. "Do you smoke cigarettes?" she asked. "Nope" I reply.
The ride lasts all of 3 minutes. She directs me to turn into a long driveway leading up to an apartment complex far off the road. As the driveway goes on and on and the main road gets farther and father out of sight I start to panic. A lot of scenarios run through my head in a short amount of time. Is this some sort of setup? I start to pray "Oh God, Please protect me!" over and over.
There is a group of 5-6 people standing outside the apartment complex. Are they going to rob me or attack me?
My passenger turns to me and asks "Is it 8:00"? When I answer "Yes", she says "Oh, I need to take my medicine! Alright then, O.K. then! I need to take my medicine!" With those parting words she closes the door behind her.
I breathe a sigh of relief. I lean over and lock the passenger door and head home. What was I thinking!? Never again!!