Angels Among Us

A rock wedged in the tread of our car's rear wheel tonight as I parked in the lot for Noah's last "away" baseball game. I didn't know it at the time.

Ignorance was bliss. I watched Noah play his best game yet. To cure his "I-don't-wanna-go" attitude, I'd promised him ice cream if he got a hit and scored. It worked. His first time up, Noah slugged the ball and ran to first base. His teammates helped him cinch the deal with their hits. As Noah jogged over home plate, he looked at me sitting up in the stands. I gave him a "thumbs up." Positive energy flowed. In the outfield, Noah threw in a ball hit to him. Later, he put on the catcher's equipment for his first try in that position. During the last inning, Noah hit and scored again.

"What about my ice cream?" Noah asked as we walked to the parking lot. I said, "Don't worry. We'll get it."

I popped the car locks, opened the door and stopped as an elderly woman approached me. She said, "My husband noticed you've got a flat rear tire. Would you like help pumping it up?"

I walked around for a look at the damage and nodded, "You've got a portable pumper?"

"We've had trouble with a leaky tire," she explained. As air filled our flat tire, we noticed the wedged rock and heard air escaping.

The man suggested driving on the tire to push in the rock and seal in the air. I was skeptical. The couple offered to follow us to the Fleet Farm. We arrived safely. They waited for us in the parking lot while we went inside for service.

The time was 8:59 p.m. – a minute before store closing. I hoped the auto service department would keep my car overnight for work first thing in the morning and allow me use of their phone to call my husband to pick us up. Instead, the technician offered to fix the tire on the spot, even though that meant staying after hours.

All these people went above and beyond the call of duty to help us – for which I graciously thanked each one verbally. In an hour's time, we'd noticed the flat tire, received help to get service and were back on the road to get a cotton-candy ice cream cone for Noah before driving home.

On the way, I reflected, "God provided little angels to help us tonight."

"Not little angels, old angels," Noah corrected.

"Young or old – they were 'our angels'," I said. "Angels living Among Us."


For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. Psalm 91:11