Halowebs

Angels on Earth: Actual Events that Might be Related to Angels

This is a collection of stories for which angels might have had some involvement. In all cases we have verified the facts of these stories, but agree not to publish the names of the persons involved.

The old oven This is a personal story I'd like to share with you. A family member bought a home from an older Norwegian gentleman named Bob. He was very meticulous about home maintenance, leaving everything in tip-top condition. The house, grounds and gardens were of showplace quality.
The kitchen appliances, however, were a bit dated. They all worked, they all seemed quite modern from his point of view, but each was about 20 years old. Most people would've replaced these long ago, but from his practical point of view, Bob saw no need. He did his own repairs, and although they were quite dated, they were kept so clean that they looked showroom new.
When it came time to hand over the keys, Bob insisted on going through the house with the new owners and demonstrating how everything worked, how windowscreens could be replaced, where to be store things, etc. He was very proud of his family home, and wanted to hand it off to the new owners with the best care and most information possible before he moved to Florida.
Within a couple days the new owners (very close family of mine) needed to use the electric oven. They turned it on, used it for about an hour, and then turned it off. Only problem was, it didn't turn off. They tried everything, but the oven stayed on, at "warm" level. Eventually they tripped the 220 volt breaker in the main electrical box, and of course then the oven went off.
When the oven was needed a few days later, they had to switch the circuit breaker back on. Once again, it wouldn't turn off after use. And so it went, it became a matter of going downstairs to turn the circuit breaker on and off every time the oven was used.
After about six months Bob called to find out how everything was going with his former home. The oven situation was mentioned, and he seemed quite troubled by it. Knowing the new owners weren't capable of repairing appliances as he was, Bob suggested they get a repairman and he would gladly pay the bill. They said nonsense, it was no big deal, they'd just replace the oven someday.
Time went on, and Bob would call other friends in the neighborhood from time to time, and would even ask about the oven in his old house! He tried calling my relatives again, but was unable to reach them, and would then call his old friends in the neighborhood back and leave messages with them! (This was before answering machines became so prevalent). They basically shrugged it off, by now they were just used to tripping the breaker whenever they needed the oven.
Another year went by, and one evening while preparing dinner, the call came from a neighbor that Bob had passed away. All were sorry to hear this, as Bob was a gentleman and well liked and respected. When dinner was ready, the oven was turned off and my relative turned to head downstairs to switch the circuit breaker. But she noticed something different...the oven went off completely. It had been fixed.
Explanations? Obviously, this could be a coincidence. But I've yet to find a single appliance repairman who will agree that it's possible for a broken switch to fix itself after 18 months. I can't believe it had anything to do with a change in temperature or humidity, as after 18 months the oven had been through all the seasonal fluctuations. I believe this is evidence of an afterlife, possibly a situation were God sent one of his workers -- an angel -- to take care of this for someone who served the Lord as best he could. But really, it's an unexplainable event.

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A friend of mine related this next event. He's a Christian, and he knows his Bible very well. We'll call him "Dan" in this story.

One fine May afternoon, Dan parked his car in front of an office building, took out his briefcase, and turned to walk into the building. He had to deliver some papers he had worked on; there was no set time, as long as they were delivered that afternoon. Dan had hours to spare.

Before Dan could reach the front door, however, a young man loaded down with two suitcases and a duffle bag stopped him. This fellow was very thin, early twenties, and desperately in need of a shave and haircut.

"Can you please help me?"

"Sure, I'll help you," Dan replied.

The young man put down his heavy baggage and pulled a sheet of paper from his back pocket. He then pointed to an address, circled on the sheet of paper. Dan looked at the paper and immediately recognized that it was a list of homeless shelters and transient boarding houses. Reading the notes in the margin, Dan quickly discerned that this young man was being put up for one night at a boarding house, paid for by the county welfare agency. This fellow was homeless.

"Can you tell me how to find this place?"

The welfare office was a few blocks away; the young man was about halfway to the boarding house and probably already exhausted from carrying what must be all his worldly possessions. Dan looked at the paper and recognized the address on nearby Madison Street.

"Certainly...just continue down this street. When you get to that traffic light way down there, turn right and head up the hill. That's Madison street, this place is about a block further, at the top of the hill."

The young man put the paper away, shook Dan's hand, and said "thank you." He then proceeded to pick up his heavy duffle bag and suitcases, balance himself against the load, and started walking.

Dan turned and headed toward the office building, quite satisfied with himself that he had gone out of his way to help a homeless person. Entering the building he considered how sad it was that such a well-spoken, good-looking young man let himself get that way. Dan stepped on the elevator, and was suddenly, inexplicably convicted that he hadn't really helped the young man at all! Matthew 25, Jesus' tale of the sheep and the goats, burst into his head:

Matthew 25:44-45: They also will answer, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?" He will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

Dan knew he should've helped the young man with his baggage. At the very least he could've carried one bag, but even more so, Dan had a car parked right there! Dan had done nothing to represent Jesus. In fact, he had done exactly what Jesus warned against!

As soon as the elevator stopped, Dan rode it back down and ran out to the street. The young homeless man was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't have moved very fast, and he certainly couldn't make it to the end of the street in those thirty seconds. He didn't even have enough time to make it to an alley or a wrong turn...it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

At first Dan believed that the young man had been helped by an angel. But the more Dan thought it over, it was clear that he was the one who needed help: a valuable lesson. To this day, Dan believes that the young man was not homeless at all, simply an angel doing God's bidding. Whether or not that is true, Dan now spends many nights a year volunteering as an on-site chaperone at churches that provide shelter for the homeless. He picks up and drives invalids to church, and in general, has stepped up his personal commitment to helping people to extraordinary levels. Dan isn't a perfect person, but he frequently acts as a sort of human "angel" to many many people.

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Because we do verify the facts in these events, we cannot accept submissions for this page, but we can publish them in our "personal experiences" section. Why not share your angel experiences with the world? I can't think of anything that spreads more joy than a personal "brush with heaven"! So please, write to me! My e-mail is siobhan(at)halowebs(dot)com.

To meet some famous angels -- both real and imagined -- please click here.