Mysterious events occur daily, offering no explanation and leaving no concrete evidence. Many of these occurrences will remain riddles forever. However, some strange events arrive on an angel’s wings. They cannot be seen with our eyes, but they are understood in the heart, which is open to observing such beauty.
When we believe only what we can physically view, we close our eyes to miracles and the understanding of 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 must return to researching more about the lives of some mysterious ancestors in my family. Ancestry often sends ads, but I click to see what’s up when they forward information that includes a ‘hint’ to a relative.
I quickly checked the hint, knowing my moments were needed elsewhere. The information concerned a woman who was my great, great, great, someone from Europe. I started to leave the site when I noticed the date of her death was April 29th. Chills stopped me from hitting the exit button.
When my brother died on April 29th, 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 over me. Sometimes, his methods are pretty comical, which is precisely how he behaved when he resided here on earth.
When I saw the death date of my great, great, 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 spring 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, who always knew the date.
Krista was my co-worker, best friend, and keeper of all essential things in our office. She and I laughed through our days and shared many adventures for over sixteen years.
Every April, I would ask, “Krista, what day did my brother pass away?”
“April 29th.” She would state as a matter of fact. Krista wrote it in her calendar because she knew I would question her yearly.
“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 passed away on April 29th, nine years to the day after my brother.
Krista knew I would never forget that April date again.
An unsolved mystery? A coincidence? Or was it a reminder, delivered via angel wings, that those unseen are alive and well? They indeed send messages in mysterious ways, and receiving one is both comforting and joyful.
Miracles, mysterious events, and messages are often handed to us, but we frequently miss them because we are caught up in our busyness. Sometimes, like the other day, when I quickly clicked on Ancestry to see the hint, two beautiful souls sent me a message telling me that death does not take away living.
Faith provides the vision; without it, we find it difficult to see what makes our earthly existence more meaningful and hopeful. The strangest mystery of all is trying to live abundantly without faith.
Life is filled with miracles and mysteries only found on angel wings. And those can only be seen and understood with our souls.
