Entertaining Angels

When something unbelievable happens, you better believe that’s God.

- Steve Harvey

It was the summer of 1990, and I was a counselor for a group of high schoolers leading Vacation Bible School in Colorado. After a great week, we were filled up spiritually and exhausted physically. We couldn’t wait to get the five vans loaded and drive back to Phoenix.

We didn’t anticipate that after a week in the mountains (there was still snow on the ground) that when driving into the heat of Arizona, there might be a challenge with tires on the vans. One by one, four of the vans popped a tire! No problem! We changed to the spare and were on our way. But after the fourth stop, the leaders gathered and made a plan now that we were out of spares and could have a problem if it continued.

Steve, one of the other counselors, and I would pile the students from our van into the others and we would load the bad tires into our van. While the group continued towards home, we’d go to the nearest town, get the tires repaired, and then catch up with the group. Perfect! Until we decided to take the backroads to make better time. Big mistake!

Pop! There went another tire. No problem, we thought. BUT the lugnuts were on so tight, Steve couldn’t budge them. I was no help. Three hours passed without a car coming by. We were out of water, Steve was exhausted and the heat was hovering right around 100 degrees. Once the fourth hour had passed, Steve, now nauseous, climbed in the van and we started praying -  pleading - with God for help! We were in the middle of nowhere and we needed a miracle.

That’s when the car not only came, but pulled over, tires tied all over the roof and the back seat filled with more. The man was dirty, unshaven, without teeth. Steve handed him the jack, he unscrewed the lugnuts, popped the tire off and told us to get in the car. Steve looked at me, weighing whether this was smart. But seeing no other choice, we piled in the front seat. We came to a town, he drove to a garage and unloaded the tires while Steve filled his car with gas (over $75.00). While we waited on repairs, we took him to get a hamburger.

I don’t remember his name, but sitting there he told us he lived in his car, slept in parks, and drove back and forth cross country to help people. Unbelievable, I know. But even more unbelievable is that after the tires were repaired and ours was put back on, he walked to his car and we watched him pull away. No lie - the car vanished! Steve turned to me and said, “I think we just entertained an angel.”

Ephesians 3:20 says:

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

It’s only when we create the space to empty ourselves that we see the amazing power of His spirit at work in our lives for us and through us. That is when we are more than conquerors.

Ask God to help you be more aware of the Spirit. You never know, it might involve an angel!

Pastor Pam

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