Monday, July 31, 2006

God assigns angels to do many things on earth. They are ministering spirits sent to serve those who believe (Hebrews 1:14)


I have had many mystical experiences throughout my life. One of the earliest of these occurred when I was just five years old. My father was still active duty Air Force and we lived on Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts.

One summer afternoon, my sister - who is ten years my senior - was pushing me on a swing not far from where we lived. It was a beautiful day and we were both laughing as she pushed me higher and still higher. Neither of us was aware of a protruding screw which was situated on the bar which ran across the top of the swingset.

My sister pushed harder and harder and I rose higher and higher. And then it happened. My head came in contact with the screw which tore across the left side of my forehead and left a gash which would later require 18 stitches.

Anyone who has ever suffered a cut to the head knows how serious it can be. I was quickly covered in blood and my sister was screaming and crying for help. My mother heard all the commotion and came running. I was covered in blood. My father had taken the family car to work and my mother, who also began to cry and scream for help, felt helpless. Our next door neighbor was home and witnesed all the commotion but never came out to help. Although her car was in the driveway, she didn't want to get any blood on her upholstery.

And so, I began to bleed to death. There was no one around to help us. My mother cried out again. It was at this time that an old beatup car pulled up to the curb next to where my mother was holding me in her arms. Three teenage males, each of them with long hair, jumped out of the car and asked my mother if she needed some help. They opened a car door as my mother leaped into the back seat with me in her arms and my sister right behind her. These three young men all appeared to be in their teens. Highschool age. They were unconcerned about blood soiling their car and reassured my mother as they drove us to the Base Hospital. Later my mother would say that these young men were unusually calm for teenagers and that their words filled her with peace.

As we pulled up to the hospital, one of the young men opened the car door to the back seat and my mother jumped out and ran inside with my sister right behind her. Medical personnel had noticed the car pull up to the emergency room entrance at a high rate of speed and met my mother just inside the door.

As a team of physicians and nurses grabbed me and ran into an operating room, my mother and sister were told to wait in the lobby. As they turned back to the emergency room entrance, they both noticed that the car with the three boys had simply disappeared without making a sound. They thought this odd since the car had made a good deal of noise as it carried us to the hospital. And they had only looked away for a brief instant.

Where had the car gone? And who were the three boys with long hair? They were highschool age but my sister (who attended the Base highschool) had never seen them before. In fact, not one of the boys at her highschool had hair that long. Had they simply been civilians visiting the Base? This was not possible. Every car entering Otis needed to have a military registration sticker in order to gain entry to the base. Unless one was active duty or reserve military and had a military ID. But these three boys had long hair which ruled out that possibility.

And why had these three boys appeared out of nowhere in a residential section of the Base? Why were they there?

My mother knew. For it was right after she had cried out to God for help that three strangers materialized from thin air. And just as soon as they had accomplished their task, they were gone.

I thank the Lord Jesus and my guardian angels for saving my life. And while I will always wonder why the Good God sent three that day, I'm just glad He did.

Paul

2 comments:

Marie Cecile said...

Dear Paul,

I'm glad he did too.

Your Mother's faith is very strong to get the help of God's angels, and to touch your life deeply. God definitely touched you, but more importantly you kept Him with you.

God love you,
Marie Cecile

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Thank you for your kind words Marie Cecile. My parents are both truly remarkable people. Although my dad went to be with the Lord 6 years ago, I feel his presence regularly and have even heard him speaking to me for a brief moment now and then.

My Catholic faith was shaped by these two wonderful souls.

Your own parents must be very beautiful. For they produced a daughter who loves her Lord, her faith and her vocation as a Christian!

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