The morning sun is beating down on this humid summer morning. We are about half way into our morning walk when I spot the shiny copper object. Bending down to get a better look I discover that it is a bright shiny penny. According to my mother an angel has just smiled on me.

My mother believes that angels show their presence in our lives by dropping coins onto the ground. She believes that the amount the coin is worth indicates how many angels are smiling down on you. It is a lovely thought that brings her pleasure.

Angels are often depicted in art, literature, and religion. They are messengers who connect us with the divine. Some angels represent good and others evil. I believe that angels walk among us and appear in different forms.

Many people have encounters with angels on a daily basis. The angels are there to help them in times of crisis or stress. These guardians enhance our lives and bring us closer to God.

There are times when an angel’s message can be heard by the words or actions of the people surrounding you. This may be a chance encounter in a store when you are concerned about an issue in life. In shopping you may hear a conversation where people are discussing a solution to the issue that you are facing.

You may be walking or driving in a car and hear a song that inspires a solution to the current issue. These are examples of the many ways that angels communicate with us.

I have had several encounters with angels over the years. It is a comfort to me to know that God has sent a guardian to watch over me. There is one time in particular that my life was spared due to God intervening.

One fall morning I was driving to Atlanta to visit my mother. He was a cocker spaniel that  shined in his golden coat and often travelled with me. I would restrain him in the backseat of the car so he would not jump into the front seat. We were about half way into our journey when things began to go awry. The car needed gas and I decided to stop at an exit before moving on to the next town.

The interstate was busy at this time of the day. This exit was at the crossroads of where two interstate highways intersect. There were a lot of big trucks and cars that were speeding along in excess of seventy miles per hour. The ramp to reenter the interstate was short and had a curve in it making traffic difficult to see.

After stopping for gas I came down the ramp to reenter the interstate. While at the gas station I had taken my dog on a walk and forgot to restrain him in the back seat when we returned to the car. When I began to drive back on the interstate ramp all of a sudden my dog jumped into the front seat of the car and distracted me. I pulled out into the traffic not paying attention and heard a truck blow his horn loudly. For a brief moment it appeared that time had stopped. The next thing I knew it appeared as if the truck passed through me like a ghost.

I pulled over to the side of the road shaking from head to toe. It was a surreal feeling as I  realized that no accident had occurred and I was still in this world. Everything was fine and life went on as usual. Thanking God for sparing me and the rest of the world I proceeded to move my dog and restrain him in the backseat again. The trip went smoothly and there were no further incidents.

This is just one example of how God sent an angel to impact my life. There have been other times when it seemed  angels appeared. Many of these times have been when life was in disarray and I needed guidance to solve an issue.

In life there are issues that can impact the way that we interact with the world. By listening to the world around us there are often clues on how to solve the issues that we face. If we make a conscious effort then listening for guidance is easy.

God is always with us and sends us help when we need it. Angels are among us and will often serve as the messengers. All we need to do is allow our soul to listen.

copyright 2017 Debbie Pierce