He orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.
Psalm 91:11 NLT
In December, the streets of New York City are filled with people. Tourists in colorful toboggans and scarves crowd the sidewalks as they pause to capture holiday scenes on smart phone cameras. Native New Yorkers, dressed in black from head to toe, move past with purpose, eyes ahead. Their booted feet find gaps on the damp concrete, their rhythm in sync with the traffic signals.
I’ve learned to get in the wake of a New Yorker when I’m in the city. Following a sure-footed local saves precious minutes as I attempt to squeeze the maximum number of stops into a limited amount of time. Last December I had a day in the Big Apple. My husband was in meetings and I had Christmas shopping to do. List in hand and charge cards in purse, I hit the streets early. First stop: Bloomingdales.
I had to cross Fifth Avenue en route. The congestion got really thick as I approached this landmark street. Crowds swarmed in front of famous stores like Tiffany’s and Bergdorf Goodman. My progress was slow until I noticed an undaunted local nudge past. That’s my pathfinder, I thought. I’m not sure she noticed as I got in step behind her. This woman was a master at plowing through the masses of people without being rude. She gained a few seconds advantage at every intersection as she knowingly anticipated the exact moment the light would change.
At the corner of 5th and 58th we (my New York way-maker and me) had to stop for a red light. I was watchful; ready to step out the instant it was safe to do so. A flash of green and here we go. Instinctively I looked both ways as we made our way onto the pavement. Above the traffic noises I heard a voice behind me shout, “Watch out!” I glanced left and, barreling through the intersection was a city bus, veering toward us. I jumped back onto the curb just as the bus zoomed past and screeched to a halt inches beyond the crosswalk.
I looked over my right shoulder to see who had warned me. There, leaning against the bus stop booth, was a man in work clothes. His blue eyes twinkled beneath a hard hat as he directed a smile my way. I smiled back. “Thanks,” I said, feeling this was hardly adequate. But the crush of people behind me forced me into the street. As I looked back for another glance at my protector, the word that flew through my mind was “angel.” I looked him in the eye and mouthed, “You’re my angel.” He just grinned.
The Bible depicts angels going up and down between heaven and earth doing God’s business, ministering to and protecting His children. The Scriptures are full of stories and teaching about the reality of these heavenly beings. These passages have prompted me to pray regularly for angelic intervention. Was it an angel that alerted me that day? I can’t say for sure. What I can say with confidence is that God has promised, “The angel of the Lord guards all who fear him, and he rescues them.” (Psalm 34:7)