Who or what is an angel?  Have you ever been visited by one?  Webster defines an angel as “a spiritual being that serves especially as a messenger from God or as a guardian of human beings”.

In my three books, “Acquisition”, “Sell Out”, and “The Investment”, the hero, Wilson McCann is visited on occasion by a Scotsman who is a reformed alcoholic accountant and now drives a cattle truck.  His name is McIntyre, he is a follower of Jesus Christ and he shows up at pivotal times in McCann’s life, mostly to offer aid, wise advice, and, in two instances, dogs who become McCann’s companions.  Some of my readers have asked me if McIntyre is an angel.  They want to know more about him.  What is his first name?  Where did he come from?  Etc., Etc.

In 1982, I was diagnosed with a form of cancer that is usually fatal.  After initial surgery to remove a large tumor, the prognosis was not good and the follow-on surgical treatment recommended was quite radical.  When I asked if I would live long enough to see my youngest son graduate from high school (in seven years), the answer was, “I make you no promises.”  I needed to decide whether to have the recommended surgery, seek a second opinion at the May Clinic or, worst case, let the cancer take me.

The nurses and nurses’ aides were attentive, loving and friendly, except for one.  She was efficient and quiet as she went about her duties of checking on my vitals, re-stocking my IV and removing things that needed to be removed.  Try as I might to establish a rapport with her, she didn’t respond.

One night, in the wee hours, I lay in my hospital bed, contemplating my future in a state of deep depression.  She came in to perform her usual duties.  The opening conversation went something like this:

The Nurse: “Why are you awake?”

Me: “Just lying here…thinking.”

The Nurse: “Thinking about what?”

Me:  “Maybe I should just let the cancer take me now.”

The Nurse:  Do you have a family?

Me:  “Yes, a wife and four children.”

The Nurse:  “Don’t you think that they need you?”

Me:  “They will be well taken care of.  I have lots of insurance.”

At that point, she sat down on the edge of the bed and took my hand in hers.  For the next twenty minutes or so, she talked with me and convinced me that I had a lot to live for.  Having done that, she left the room.  I never saw her again.

Two weeks later, I was given a miracle.  A second surgery at in the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found no traces of the cancer.  Of the over 100 cases of my type of cancer that the Mayo Clinic had handled up until that time, I was the lone survivor.

Was the nurse an angel, sent from God at the right time to give me the message that I had a lot to live for and that God had not forgotten me?  She was certainly messenger with a message that, at that point, I needed to hear.

I don’t intend to imply that the McIntyre character in my novels is an angel.  But, as I look back over my life and think of my encounters with people who seemed, at a particular moment in time, to have a special insight from God that I needed to hear and compare them with his character, I can see why some might think so and for that I am pleased.

I believe that God sends His messengers to speak to us in various ways at important times.  We may or may not even recognize them or their message at the time.  But, as circumstances move forward, we may look back and wonder at God’s providence for us.

I also believe that God sends His followers as angels at various important times to speak His special message to someone who, at that particular time, needs to hear from Him.

So, I ask again, have you ever met an angel?   More importantly, is your faith such that God can use you as His special messenger to someone with a particular need to hear from Him?