Meaningful Monday

My Guardian

Angel Dear Angel ever at my side,

how lovely you must be---

To leave your home in heaven,

to guard a child like me.

When I'm far away from home,

or maybe hard at play--

I know you will protect me,

from harm along the way.

Your beautiful and shining face,

I see not, though you're near.

The sweetness of your lovely voice,

I cannot really hear.

When I pray, you're praying too,

Your prayer is just for me.

But ,when I sleep you never do,

You're watching over me.

I know that many people are skeptical when it comes to believing in the existence of guardian angels. I have had a deep rooted belief in a greater power watching over me since I was a child though and have tagged that power as being a guardian angel. As a sixth grader, I was eager to have the opportunity to serve as a school crossing guard for the elementary school that I attended. Those of us that were selected were given a white crossing guard strap to wear and an orange flag on a pole to hold out in front of the cars that stopped at the crossing. There was also a wrong way and right way to do our job, which we were instructed on. The correct way being to step out into the gutter/berm and when the first car came to a complete stop, we were to hold the flag in front of that car until there were no more children at the curb to cross and that last child to cross had safely reached the opposite curb. I loved being a crossing guard and followed the rules to the letter. On one particular day for reasons I didn't understand for quite sometime later, I didn't follow those rules. Before that 'Last Child ' wasn't even half way across the street, I stepped in front of the first car waiting on my side of the street. Just as I did, in that gutter/berm area where I would have been standing, a car came speeding by. Even as a child, I realized, 'Hey if I had been standing there like I was supposed to be, I would most likely be dead!' It wasn't but a few minutes later that a woman came running up the sidewalk, grabbed me and held on hugging me tightly and saying, "Thank God... Oh Thank God You Are Alright!" It seems as though her brakes had gone out on her and not knowing that intersection was a school crossing, she had opted to move into the gutter/berm area rather than to pile into the back end of another car. It wasn't until some time later that I recognized this as an Act of Divine Intervention. Being such, I had no choice in the matter, I guess it is a perfect example of being "moved by the spirit". There were many times since that day that I felt the warmth and protection of my guardian angel.

On the occasion of our youngest grand daughter's birthday tomorrow I have been recalling eventful times in the lives of these grandchildren here in Ohio. Just 5 years ago in April Riley was born. J.D. and I gathered up the three girls and took them to the Dogwood Festival, our main objective was to bring back some fried veggies for Melody. At that time T-Bear was herself 5 years old, Britt was 10 years old and Alley Oop was 8 years old. The Dogwood Festival runs for the last weekend in April and is a street type festival with two of the main streets blocked off and four or five of the side streets. Most people that live on those streets will park their cars elsewhere during the festival in case they want to go someplace without a lot of difficulty. We had seen just about all there was to see and was waiting our turn to be served at the fried veggie booth. The girls were standing off to the side of me when J.D. mentioned finding a little shade over at the other side of the booth and thought it would be a good idea to get the girls out of the sun for a little while. He had no sooner led them away from me, when I heard a car engine revved way up, tires squealing and gravel flying. In a heart beat I saw a car racing past me and slamming into the wall of the building directly behind the veggie cart. I actually felt the wind created by the car as it passed me. Had J.D. not been in my life, he wouldn't have been there to lead the girls out of harms way. My first thought was, had the girls been standing there just a matter of seconds longer than they were, they would have surely died. Once more a guardian angel walked with us.

Wishing you a blessed week and may your guardian angel protect you from harm.