Mysteries found on angel wings
Mysterious events occur daily, offering no explanation and leave no concrete evidence. Many of these occurrences will remain mysteries forever. However, some strange events arrive on an angel’s wings. They cannot be seen with our eyes but understood in the heart that is open and free to observe such beauty.
When we believe only what we can physically view, we close our eyes to miracles, to understanding the spiritual side of our being. When we receive hints that someone is watching out for us that we can only feel but cannot see, do we ignore or embrace the moment?
The other day in the middle of my busyness, an email flashed across my screen from Ancestry.com. It reminded me that one day, I will have to return to researching more information about some mysterious ancestors in my family. Many times, Ancestry sends ads, but when they forward information that they may have found a “hint” to someone in my family, then I will click to see what’s up. But only if I have time, and the other day, my time was almost none.
I quickly decided to check the hint, knowing my time was needed elsewhere. The information concerned a woman who was my great-great-great-someone from Europe. I started to exit the site, when I noticed the date of her death was April 29. Chills stopped me from hitting the exit button.
When my brother died on April 29, 1998, I was devastated. He was my only sibling, and life seemed to fall into a hole for a while. John was way too young to leave, but in the years following his death, he has found ways to tell me he is well and watching out for me. Sometimes the methods he uses are quite comical, which is precisely the way he behaved when he resided here on earth.
When I saw the death date of my greatgreat-great-kin from Europe, my busyness paused for a moment to reflect on a mystery that comforts me every single day.
For several years after John’s death, as the end of April approached, I could never quite recall the exact day in April he passed. I thought the reason was that it was such a grief-filled day, my mind did not want to remember such sadness. However, I would ask Krista what the date was.
Krista was my co-worker, best friend, and keeper of all essential things in our office. She and I would laugh our way through our days and shared many adventures for over 16 years.
Every April, I would ask, “Krista, what day did my brother pass away?”
“April 29,” she would state as a matter of fact. Krista had it written in her calendar because she knew I would ask her every April.
“Why can’t I remember that day?!” I would exasperatingly respond, while she shook her head and smiled.
Krista was stricken with cancer in her early 50s and she, like my brother, did not survive. Her multitude of friends and her adoring family were devastated.
Her church was filled to capacity with tearful mourners, including me. I held her service program in my hand as I listened to the eulogies. I finally noticed the date of her death, which my grief hid from me until that moment. She had passed away on April 29, nine years to the day after my brother.
Krista knew I would never forget that April date again.
An unsolved mystery? A coincidence? A mystery delivered via angel wings to remind me those who are unseen are alive and well? They indeed send messages in mysterious ways and how comforting and beautiful it is to receive one.
Miracles, mysteries, messages are handed to us often, but because we are caught up in our own busyness, we will often miss them. Sometimes, like the other day, when I quickly clicked on Ancestry to see the hint, a message was sent to me by two beautiful souls as a reminder to remember death does not take away living.
Faith provides vision, and without it, you miss witnessing a bunch of important stuff that makes our earthly existence more joyful and hopeful. Funny thing is that living without faith is the strangest mystery of all.
Oh, and by the way, Krista was born on my husband’s birthday. Life is full of beautiful mysteries found on angel wings.