Listen to Angels
Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at 11:41AM If you wish to know inner peace, I encourage you to listen to angels. Now, before you begin to question where I'm coming from, and if I'm 'all here,' I'll share two stories with you which changed my life. They reveal how angels appear and assist you when you least expect it.
One fine June day, when I was 12, I was riding my bike home from school. I was delighted to have this ten speed with curled handlebars. I liked the freedom I felt as I coasted fast.
As it was, I had had some change in my pocket. When I was descending a hill alongside the wavy, Kennebecasis River, I thought I heard some change hit the ground. My instinct was to pull the brake, stop and retrieve it. Unfortunately, I pulled the front brake only and went face first into the concrete. Rather than brace my fall, my arms flew backwards. So much for the bright, sunshine yellow t-shirt and yellow jeans. No wonder my favorite color became orange?
Although I had this accident in a residential area, nobody was around. I was screaming in agony because I had shattered my septem and completely flattened my nose. Yet, it seemed no person heard me. How could everyone be out at the same time? Curiously, there were no cars on the road. Call it the twilight zone or a crash course in inter-dimensional travel.
Just when I was about to faint from loss of blood, I thought I saw an old brown car drive over the hill. I slumped down beside my bent bicycle and the brown car actually stopped beside me. Two men with Mexican t-shirts and dark curly hair got out and approached me. They asked me if I was okay and I think by that point, all I could manage was a nod. They picked me up and put me in the back seat of their car. These strangers drove me directly to the emergency department of the regional hospital. We passed no cars on the road. I knew as I hovered over my body. They took me inside and then drove away. Thanks to them, I had surgery to replace the blood and to reconstruct my nose. My parents tried to find out who those men were. My parents were grateful. Yet, the men appeared out of nowhere and we were never able to find them. They left no trace. Looking back, maybe it was my own real-life version of Highway to Heaven? To me, they were angels and I'm very grateful.
Another story I wish to share with you took place in 1996. After initial university experiences, I had prepared for French medical school. I realize now I almost compromised my creative gifts to pursue a career that wasn't really for me. I also almost decided to pursue a personal life which did nothing to stimulate my imagination or nourish my soul.
Then, it happened. At dusk, during the first light snowfall of the season, I left the hospital where I was a volunteer in the emergency. I strained to focus on a windy, forest road, and unexpectedly skidded along black ice around a blind corner.
From that moment, my life flashed in front of me. As I turned the bend, I glimpsed 3 oncoming cars and an 18-wheeler transport truck careening down the steep incline toward me in the passing lane. Like a bad dream, I was headed straight for them. Try as I did to use defensive driving skills, I found I had no control over the steering. The brakes were also useless in slippery conditions.
The car slid alarmingly across the median into the other lane, yet curiously swerved back with a jolt to hydroplane off the road. The passenger side collided with snow-covered birch trees that snapped and destroyed the outer door. The frenzied impacts caused the passenger side airbag to deploy.
I wasn't sure if I dissociated, or if I saw a flash, but I felt some force took control of my car. It propelled forward. This collision with the passenger side of the car was like a godsend. It took just enough time for the oncoming traffic to pass. As if on cue, my car crossed the median behind the 18-wheeler and went directly into the ditch on the opposite side of the road and to collide with a telephone pole. The driver's side airbag deployed and smoke oozed out of the remains of the engine.
Just as the ambulance and firetruck arrived, I managed to emerge from the car. Against the advice of bystanders, I rushed back to rescue a research project from the back seat. The EMTs insisted I be taken to emergency to get checked over. When I arrived on the gurney, colleagues thought I was playing a trick on them until the police followed in behind. After all, I had left my volunteering responsibilities there less than 15 minutes before.
In the end, the car was a right off, yet, I emerged unscathed. At first, all I could think about was the car (it was my dad's). Hindsight helps me see my survival is more important. This led me to rethink my personal and professional choices at that point in my life. I intuitively made new decisions which led me to take advantage of overseas opportunities in other fields.
To this day, I am aware an angel took control of my car during that snowfall in order that I would step back and change the direction of my life. I still regularly feel the presence of angels. I appreciate divine beings help me to broaden my horizons. Stepping back, I recognize I had been ignoring my true self. Now I continue to prioritize creative visions that empower and inspire. A recent bumper sticker told me I'm "protected by angels" and a girl next to me on the bus today was wearing a t-shirt that read "angels are watching you."