Angels are always present in our lives, from the ones we can see to the divine.
Angels aren’t just an ornament on my Christmas tree. They are real and they are in every part of our lives. Angels protect and defend us. Lately I have been thinking about the people in my life and how they fall into the following categories of angels/defenders in my life. I can see that they fall into five different categories.
The prayer angels
These are the people who pray for you always, whether you know it or not. They are not just my priest, religious sisters, or deacon friends. There are also good friends and family members who always remember me in their prayers. These are the people who I think have a direct line to God. For example, I have a co-worker who goes to daily mass and is always reminding me that she prays for me and for our whole company. I am fortunate.
The warrior angels
They are ready to protect and defend you at all times. No questions. Woe to the person that wrongs you because they are prepared to rain down all the wrath they can muster. I texted such a friend recently about a situation that didn’t even involve me (maybe not evident in my text) and I immediately got a “What happened? Who do I need to call? ” My response was to tell her to simmer down. I was fine. I know who to call though when I need some backup.
The “good deed” angels
These are the ones who appear when you left your wallet at home, need help on the side of the road, or buy you a coffee when you have a bad day. You probably don’t know them (or maybe you do!) and they appear at just the right time. One summer when I was working at camp, I had to drive into town to pick up a counselor that was arriving that day. We were 10 miles out of town. On the way, my tire flew off my car. The lady behind me saw what had happened, helped me find the tire, took me into town so I could get my car towed, AND returned me and the new counselor to camp. An angel for sure.
The “companion” angels
These are the people who walk with you on your journey. When you call them and say “I need…”. They don’t ask why. They say “When and where?” When I left my in person teaching job, I had to clean out my classroom. 20 years of things. A big job. With the help of 5 friends, it was sorted and packed in 3 hours. They were angels and heroes that day.
The “I see the you that you don’t see yet” angels
This is an important kind of angel in our lives. These are the people that see who we are becoming, not just who we are right now. They have faith in us when we don’t have it in ourselves or maybe we just don’t see it yet. When I was struggling with giving up on teaching for good, I had a friend point a few things out to me and I remember her saying – “You really don’t see it?”. I did not, but because of her faith in me, I could believe her.
These are all the kinds of “angels” I can see in my life at the present time. Some people fall in more than one of the categories, and I know that other people can put me in some of these categories as well. I encourage you today, this week, to look around at the people in your life. Are they more than just friends? Even better- how can you be an angel for someone else today?
