MATHEWS: Guardian angels have nothing better to do
Published 3:49 pm Saturday, January 25, 2025
- The Rev. Mathews (BA, MDiv, JD) is a faith columnist and the author of Reaching to God and Emerald Coast: The Vendetta. Contact her at Hello@RAMathews.com. Copyright 漏 2024 R.A. Mathews. All rights reserved.
Getting your player ready...
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By R.A. Mathews
At 7:24 a.m. last Sunday, my BBF, Best Beloved Friend, who lives far from me in a mountainous region of the United States, texted pictures of her snow-covered vehicle with the message: 鈥淗ere we go again.鈥
She has sent a number of snowy pictures this year 鈥 they鈥檝e had a bad winter.
At 9:05 a.m., she sent pictures of everyone in her grandparents鈥 Lincoln Navigator: her 81-year-old grandfather, 76-year-old grandmother, mother, aunt and uncle. The message read: 鈥淔inal pictures of us since we will most likely die driving to church.鈥
She鈥檚 very funny, and we usually send pictures back and forth as we text. This was nothing out of the ordinary.
At 11 a.m., as I was worshipping the Lord, I parted my Bible, searching for a topic for this newspaper column. It opened to one of the most powerful angel stories in scripture.
At 11:13 a.m., she sent pictures of their bad icy roads.
At 11:21 a.m., she wrote, 鈥淪tuck in a ditch with my family. Please pray. Oh, my goodness, I鈥檓 crying. I鈥檓 so scared.鈥
At 11:24 a.m., 鈥淚f I die, I just want you to know I鈥檝e had the pleasure of you being my best friend. OK, I鈥檓 really serious.鈥
I thought this was so sweet and also funny.
At 11:36 a.m., she said roadside service wouldn鈥檛 be there for three hours. I told her to get an Uber. She said she wouldn鈥檛 leave her family, and I responded, 鈥淭ake them with you.鈥 Her answer: 鈥淭hey can鈥檛 get out鈥 鈥
That鈥檚 when I realized this wasn鈥檛 a simple roadside incident and immediately reassured her: 鈥淵ou all have a guardian angel! Pray for your guardian angel to speak to someone who can help you!鈥
I prayed to God, sought my angel鈥檚 help, and then contacted the fire department. I told her to dial 9-1-1, but her aunt discouraged her.
I later learned they were on an icy single-lane road with a steep mountain on one side and a drop-off to death on the other, thanks to no guardrail. Fortunately, they had slid toward the mountain with the Navigator now nearly on its side up against a huge boulder. She was grateful it hadn鈥檛 crashed the passenger-side windows, throwing glass everywhere.
As soon as the wreck happened, her grandfather called their pastor and left a message.
At 12:02 p.m., the sheriff arrived and roadside assistance soon followed. The Navigator had to be lifted, what they call a 鈥渞ecovery.鈥 It couldn鈥檛 be towed 鈥 that鈥檚 how badly the vehicle was situated.
Minutes later, I told her, 鈥淭hank goodness! All the angels got together!鈥
I believe that鈥檚 what happened and confirmed the timing with her. It was sometime near 11:44 a.m. when their pastor discovered the message, called the sheriff, and secured assistance. In other words, he moved into action after we began praying to God and for everyone鈥檚 guardian angels to put their heads together.
I am not Roman Catholic, but I learned details about guardian angels from Pope John Paul II. And remember, just before I saw her text messages, God had led me to read one of the most powerful angel scenes in Scripture. It鈥檚 about Assyrian King Sennacherib.
The Britannica says Assyria had 鈥渦nited most of the Middle East from Egypt to the Persian Gulf,鈥 which means the brutal nation had conquered everything in the region. A formidable foe, the Assyrians were greatly feared. The Britannica cites a 鈥渟eries of strong Assyrian kings鈥 including Sennacherib.
Archaeology found that Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem when Hezekiah was king but could not take the city. That鈥檚 big!
Historians suggest a plague struck the enemy army, but the prophet Isaiah wrote the exact reason in the 8th century B.C., long before any archaeological find!
Isaiah told Hezekiah, 鈥淭herefore this is what the聽Lord聽says concerning the king of Assyria: 鈥楬e will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here鈥 I will defend聽this city and save it鈥 鈥
鈥淭hat night the angel of the聽Lord鈥. put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning鈥攖here were all the dead bodies!聽So Sennacherib . . . broke camp and withdrew鈥 One day, while he was worshiping鈥 his god, his sons鈥. killed him with the sword鈥 鈥 (2 Kings 18:32-37).
Pope John Paul II said, 鈥淭he modern mentality does not see the importance of angels,鈥 but Scripture has one angel story after another. I am releasing 鈥淩eaching to God 鈥 The Angels Edition鈥 later this year.
Ask for your angel鈥檚 intervention as we did last Sunday. Once you begin, you鈥檒l never forget that your guardian angel has nothing better to do than help you.
Contact the Rev. Mathews at RAMathews.com. Copyright 漏 2025 R.A. Mathews. All rights reserved.