I have now left New York state and have begun a new career as a United Methodist pastor in Washington state.   I have just acquired a new computer and can now resume my contact with this site.  A half hour ago, I stepped out of my office and talked to Ron, a fellow who is turning the area in front of our church into an artistic marvel.  We were discussing the phonomenon of angels appearing in disguise to help needy people and he shared an incident with me that greatly inspired me.   He knows the beneficiary of an angelic intervention personally.

Jessie Blocker was a down-and-out homeless alcoholic.  One night, he got drunk and passed out on the railway tracks in Orlando, Florida.  A train soon came and cut off his legs.  

Jessie was now confined to a wheel chair but was still enslaved to alcoholism.  Eventually, his life became too difficult and joyless and he decided that it was pointless to live on.  So he wheeled his chair down to the dock of a nearby lake and hurled himself in to end his misery and drown himself.  

But in less than 10 seconds he felt a huge unseen hand grab him and hurl back on the shore.  Instantly he recognized the loving hand of a God who really cared about him and was tranformed.  Today Jessie heads up a thriving ministry to the homeless in Orlando.  He is able to reach many who would never listen to any minister because he has been down-and-out just as they are now.  Jessie is now active in Ron's former church in Orlando.

Don    

Actually  that is interesting in that often that sort of intervention does NOT happen so you wonder why not.

About 10-15 years ago when the angel books were all so popular, I recall reading a story by a woman who reported she had been pulled ... literally .... just as this guy reported, out of an unforseen bad situation. I don't recall the details, something like about to walk somewhere that she thought was OK and suddenly she was physically moved back or forward, whatever. In the story, she knew she had been saved from something. he interesting thing was, some time later,  maybe years, she was in another bad situation. She was about to be raped. She didn't panic because she was sure the angels would show up again, except this time they didn't. Sort of makes you wonder, why don't they show up more often?

Great story Don. :)