Strolling along the beautiful Daytona Beach with my hand in Steve’s, and our baby resting on his forearm, we noticed a slender woman with weathered, and slightly wrinkled skin approaching us. As our eyes locked, we greeted her.
“What a cute baby. She’s smiling at me,” she said in a high pitch as she attempted to tickle her neck. How old is she?”
“Ten months,”
The woman’s fingers slid down Leslie’s small arm, placed the tiny hand in hers, then squeezed it before leaving.
Steve and I chuckled at our proud parent moment. “Babies do seem to make people feel better,” my husband said, placing my hand on his elbow.
Moments later, she spoke again. “I must tell you how 
much Her smile meant. She made my day. You see…” Her eyes began gathering water as they gazed upon Leslie’s. “My husband and I have exercised by walking this beach every day since we retired. He passed away two weeks ago, and her bright smile was just what I needed today.”
Thinking back, I realized God uses people to be His messengers, or angels. In fact, He used Leslie several more times growing up. For instance, when we shared office space with a print shop, her message wasn’t always one of comfort, but one of challenge.
Every time the bell rang at the print shop, three-year-old Leslie snuck in, only to innocently confront customers with, “Do you go to church?”
One day, the customer bent over to pat her head. “That is so nice of you to ask. I wish all my church members would follow your lead.”
Yes, he was a pastor. The next time he returned, she greeted him with a harder question, “Are you going to heaven?”
I understood inviting people to church. After all, her dad is a pastor. She witnessed him inviting people everywhere he went. Asking them to go to heaven, though, took my breath away. For a period of a few months, she asked more customers than I could count.
When she was five, we headed southward to Texas for a funeral. With my poor vision, we had taught her to grab our hands as soon as she got out of the car. Parking at the motel, I opened her door, but instead of grabbing my hand, she ran towards a strange man who pulled in nearby.
Panic, anger, confusion, all flooded me, but she returned, and we went inside. Immediately, I had Leslie guide me to the restroom for a chat. In adjoining stalls, my rage wanted to be unleashed, but my curiosity lurked in the background.
Before even deciding what to do, words escaped. “Why did you run away to a stranger?”
A quiet voice responded, “To give that man a hug.”
“Why did you want to give him a hug? Did you think he was someone 
you knew? I asked in a mostly controlled voice.
“No, mommy,” followed by a short sigh. “He just looked like he needed a hug.
Still baffled, I decided to drop it until we were alone with her father.
Rejoining him in the lobby, Steve introduced me to a nice man about twenty years older than us, and his wife.
The man lowered his gaze to Leslie. “Thank you for your hug, young lady. Made my day.” Then, he angled himself towards my husband before continuing. “You see, we lost our granddaughter last Christmas. She was six and looked almost identical to your daughter. How old is she?”
Goose bumps popped out, like a bad case of chicken pox. All I could think was how in the world could she tell his pain so quickly, and be willing to take such a risk since cautiousness could be her middle name.
The Bible tells us we entertain angels unaware, and I believe I’ve met several. However, I wanted to change our focus today to whether or not we’ve been an angel to someone else. Have you, your child, or a friend provided comfort, met a need, or witnessed to someone? If so, you, or they, could have been an angel in disguise.
LET’S TALK. Please share when you or someone you know was an angel in disguise. We LOVE to be encouraged!
Speaking of encouragement, if this post encouraged you, please share it with your friends. It encourages me too (but don’t tell anybody). Be blessed.
© 2017, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.
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