The Presence Of Angels

Is all around us.

The dramatic event was over in twenty minutes, but the before, during, and after were filled with Angels in all their forms.

It was a warm day, so after working for hours on the computer, I took a break to clean up the garden.

There was a bucket of ashes from our wood stove sitting in the driveway, and since it had been there a day, plus it had been cooling in the fire stove the day before, I picked it up, thinking that I would dump it into the burn pile.

I heard, “But it still may be hot, so wait another day or put water on it.”

Angel Idea.

I listened, put the bucket down, and continued gardening. As I was walking back into the house, I saw the bucket. However, I was so focused on starting dinner that I forgot the original Angel Idea message.

Instead, I dumped the ashes into the compost container beside the house.

As I headed inside, I heard, “They may still be hot, so put some water into the bin.”

Angel Idea.

I heard it and immediately forgot it—because I was thinking about something else.

Four hours later, I heard, “Shut down the computer early and go read.”

Angel Idea.

I listened and headed into the bedroom.

Within seconds, there was a massive whoosh, and a bright orange and red light lit up the bedroom window.

When I opened the bedroom door, I saw the compost bin on fire, with flames rising higher than the house.

Having taken the hoses down for the winter and emptied the water barrel because of the coming frosts, there was no outside water.

So I rushed into the kitchen, filled my biggest pan with water, ran outside, dumped it on the fire, and realized that it was something I could put out if I just kept moving.

Since I found I couldn’t dial 911 and get water simultaneously, this was an Angel Idea as a message to me.

When I returned from the kitchen with the third bucket of water, I found a teenage boy standing in the bedroom, ready to help.

His mom was outside, and the fire department was on the phone.

People Angels.

As they drove by, they saw the whoosh of the fire and stopped to help. Two police officers and a fire truck arrived within minutes.

All acting as Angels.

It was all over in twenty minutes.

The compost bin (the one I didn’t like anyway) had melted into a big lump, and a chunk of siding on the house had melted, but no one was hurt, and very little damage was done.

The woman and her son moved back into the night as gracefully as they came. I never found out their names to thank them for their help, but I will never forget them.

Sometimes, Angels appear as ideas and messages and sometimes as people, but they are always present.

The question is, are we listening and then acting on them?

Yes, I heard Angel's Idea to put water in the compost bin, but I didn’t act on it because my thoughts were elsewhere. I was busy—projecting into the future.

• Listen and act immediately on Angel Ideas.

• Learn the lesson and then let go.

Yes, I spent some time berating myself for being so careless and projecting what might have happened.

No one was doing it but me.

The police officers, the firefighters, the woman and her son, and my husband were all comforting.

I did all the “what ifs” and felt terrible about it.

However, I knew that staying there would be even more damaging than any fire could ever be.

Moving into the truth of being is always an Angel Idea and the right action.

The carelessness and result were never part of the experience of the Divine.

To benefit from any lesson is to move up and away from it, not carry it as a burden or weapon.

A few weeks before this incident, I found a coupon for what I was buying tucked beside it while shopping in the store.

I was profoundly moved by the idea that provision—as an Angel Person—had left it there for whoever needed it.

I have often done this but have never experienced it for myself. I was amazed at how it impacted me in the moment and through the coming weeks.

Sometimes, we forget that Angel Ideas are present in every detail of our lives because we become so caught up in the small things that we don't hear them or take action.

We get to choose which path to take.

Are we too busy to listen and take action, or are we present in the now?

As we provide for others in big and small ways, we are Love in action—we are Angel Ideas.

We are the Angels of God’s presence, and the gratitude that overwhelms the recipient is a window into the grace of Love.

PS:
Just a few days ago, an Angel Person said something wholly unexpected and lovely to me, a stranger. I’ll never forget that, either. We must remember that we are the Angel Idea when we are brave enough to act kindly.

---

Gift a subscription!