A few months ago, I had the privilege of traveling out of state to visit my elderly parents. I relished the opportunity to hear them reminisce about their past, as I don’t know how many more years I will have with them. My mother shared three near-death experiences: a horrible car accident and two major health issues with doctors’ prognosis that death would be the outcome.
I have heard these stories before and been grateful the outcome was what it was, but this time, the stories hit me differently. I realized my mom’s “miracles” were also my miracles. If my mom had not lived, I may not have been born, and I certainly would not have the mother I have today.
My mother said, “I don’t know if there are really guardian angels, but I like to think I do have them, and they did a good job.” It made me reflect on the times when I felt guardian angels protected me and to echo my mother’s words, “They did a good job.” Once, while traveling back to college down a snowy, windy canyon in the middle of the night, I rounded a corner to see a herd of deer in the middle of the road.
The deer in the headlights effect is real, and the deer froze. I hit my brakes and started to slide. Miraculously, I fishtailed my way through the herd of deer without hitting a single one.
Another time, before I understood the danger of airbags for small children, I had my neighbor’s child in the front seat while carpooling to school. We were on a highway, going fast, when the driver and passenger in the vehicle in front of us got into a fist fight and suddenly came to a complete stop. I did not have time to react and should have slammed into them, but the next thing I knew we were around them, safely driving to school with no impact and no exploding fatal airbag.
My guardian angel did a good job. I don’t know how the operations of heaven work or the logistics of guardian angels, but I do know that God is a loving Father in Heaven who is aware of every detail in our lives—our joys and our challenges—and He desires to help us. Although the scriptures do not use the term “guardian angels” there are references to ministering angels.
One such poignant example of an angel giving aid occurred shortly before Jesus Christ’s trial and crucifixion. When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying and suffering, Christ took upon Him all humankind’s sins, weaknesses, infirmities and sorrows; He suffered the consequences of each of those failings to atone for us that we might be able to repent and be washed clean. I cannot imagine how great Jesus Christ’s pain and torment were, but from the scriptures we know that Jesus “being in agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
” [KJV Luke 22:44] In the midst of being “exceeding sorrowful even unto death,” an angel appeared and strengthened him. [KJV Matthew 26: 38; KJV Luke 22:43] And in the words of my mother, this “guardian angel” did a good job as Christ fulfilled His Father’s will, drank from the bitter cup, and was able to accomplish “all things.” [KJV John 19:28] God be thanked for Christ’s infinite love, His great atoning sacrifice, and the strengthening angel who succored Jesus in Gethsemane.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught, “From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels..
.in conveying love and concern for His children..
.Seen or unseen they are always near.” I take comfort in knowing there are angels always near.
It has brought me peace and joy to reflect on the times in my life when I have felt the help of guardian angels. I invite you to do the same reflection and maybe you will end up saying, like my mother, “They did a good job.” Christine Fisher works with individuals transitioning out of homelessness and is grateful for the “seen angels” in her life—family and friends--as well as the unseen angels.
She is a wife, mother of seven children and grandma to four grandchildren..
