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On Mindful Monday, my readers and I practice the art of pausing, TRYING to be still, or considering, ever so briefly, the big picture. We’re hoping this soul time will provide enough peace of mind to get us through the week!
In her international bestseller, “Angels in My Hair,” Irish mystic Lorna Byrne writes:
As you sit there reading this–whether you believe it or not–there is an angel by your side: it is your guardian angel, and it never leaves you. Each one of us have been given a gift, a shield made from the energy of light. It is a part of the guardian angel’s task to put this shield around us. To God and the angels we are all equal; we all deserve to be protected, to be cared for, and to be loved, regardless of what others might think of us–good or bad. When I look at someone I can physically see this shield around them; it’s as if it’s alive.
Your guardian angel is the gatekeeper of your body and your soul. He was assigned to you before you were even conceived; as you grew in your mother’s womb he was there with you at every moment, protecting you. Once you were born and as you grow up your guardian angel never leaves your side for an instant; he is with you when you sleep, when you are in the bathroom, all the time–you are never alone. Then, when you die, your guardian angel is there beside you, helping you to pass over. …Human beings are much more than flesh and blood, and as you become aware of this and start to believe that you have a soul, your connection with the angels will blossom.
I believe in angels, too. But in a different sort of way.
I believe that God sends you “spiritual guides” as Henri Nouwen describes it:
It is far from easy to keep living where God is. Therefore, God gives you people who help to hold you in that place and call you back to it every time you wander off. Your spiritual guides keep reminding you of where your deepest desire is being fulfilled.
I can name several in my life.
My high school religion teacher, with some help from some other teachers, somehow inspired me to give up booze and begin the road to recovery and to a deeper spiritual life.
The woman I call my guardian angel, Ann Omohundro, was there, sitting on an Amtrak train, to pull me out of my denial about being a manic depressive. She was the voice of reason during those first months of confusion, urging me to listen to the psychiatrists who said I had a severe mood disorder, not my family and friends who said all I needed to do was a little mind control and yoga, and she was a light in my darkness during the suicidal afternoons I wanted so badly to end it for good.
Last month, another angel appeared to me.
I had just returned from Johns Hopkins’s Pituitary Tumor Center disheartened because I expected the expert endocrinologist-neurosurgeon team to give me an alternative way I could treat my pituitary tumor, besides the medication that made me so dizzy and sick and neurosurgery. The unsympathetic doctor told me to stop whining, take the meds, and go home.
“But I can’t see straight when I take the meds ….”
“Eat more salt, drink some Gatorade… that’ll raise your blood pressure a little.”
“But …..”
“Next.”
I came home and, in an act of defiance, went off the tumor medication.
“Let the thing grow into the size of a grapefruit. See if I care,” I said to God.
I simply didn’t have the hope or the energy to continue fighting for my health.
That’s when Fr. Joe Girzone called. He has been another consistent angel in my life, curiously popping up when I most need a message of hope. I vented to him about my health stuff, and a few hours later he called again to tell me to check out his blog. He wrote:
When we seem to be in such dire straits that even our existence seems to hanging on a thread, I have learned that that is when God is at his best. He has not left us. He is trying to help us to become strong, even stronger than was necessary in previous situations. When we gain that strength he will gently without our even realizing it, draw us back from the brink and set us on solid ground for us to continue his work.
I cried when I read his words, printed them out, and have been carrying them around as a kind of security blanket. Fr. Joe didn’t cure me of the tumor, of course, but the ounce of hope that he provided was enough to motivate me to search for yet another endocrinologist-neurosurgeon team to discuss treatment possibilities.
I’ve also been on the giving side of hope.
Not that I’m an angel, but I know when I’m being prompted by the Holy Spirit to encourage a friend or relative or reader. There are plenty of mornings, when I’ve already scheduled all my Beyond Blue posts for the week, that I feel an urge out of nowhere to write on a specific topic–like last Monday’s post, on fear–only to read hours later a comment like this one from Beyond Blue reader JR: “Whew, that is exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you.”
And for some reason, I can intuitively sense when my friend Michelle, who lost her husband a few months ago, needs encouragement and comfort. One afternoon, in particular, a month or so ago, I felt especially compelled to tell Michelle how much her husband Bob loved her and that he still loves her–because I just spoke to him (not really, but kind of)–and I shared with her some words of Henri Nouwen: “the more you have loved and have allowed yourself to suffer because of your love, the more you will be able to let your heart grow wider and deeper” and “the pain of rejection, absence, and death can become fruitful.”
“You’re Bob’s angel,” she said to me that day. “The minute before I got your message I was asking God to tell Bob how much I love him, and that I needed to hear he still loved me too.”
I hope Lorna Byrne is right about an angel sitting with me right now. I could use the company and the protection. Her book is certainly an intriguing and inspiring read. But even if those kinds of angels don’t exist, I know that God will continue to send me spiritual guides when I most need one. And I’ll probably have another opportunity to be one, too.
To read more Beyond Blue, go to http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue, and to get to Group Beyond Blue, a support group at Beliefnet Community, click here.
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The Treasures of Darkness
posted 6:06:40am Feb. 06, 2012 | read full post » |
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
Meet others on the journey in
Therese’s community group
Ask Therese to be your friend
Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
posted May 18, 2009 at 12:24 pm
So many times in the past as I prayed to God to send me a sign, I looked upward…as if some giant shooting star was going to write out solutions to all my challenges. Now, I look around me, not expecting but waiting, not doubting but accepting the gentle kindness that comes from another and being grateful for the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your words Therese. =)
God Bless You
Dawn
posted May 18, 2009 at 1:15 pm
That is exactly how I felt last week reading the post…I was grateful, thinking God lead me to exactly what I needed to read this morning and I was full of relief and gratitude. I still am.
I am thankful for being given the opportunity to be able to read it again!
posted May 18, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I too know just what you mean,I was hving a crisis yeaterday on a situation that came up and when I e-mailed a friend about it she e-mailed me back and said just the things I needed to hear.Amen
I have had many angels come around in my life.Thank-You God for always sending me help when i need it I will worship and praise you all my life.
posted May 18, 2009 at 7:04 pm
To my knowledge, I have never experienced an angel in the Biblical sense of a supernatural being sent by God, But have no problem seeing other people who have been used by God to communicate His love or perhaps some wisdom I need. The Greek word “angelos” (from which we get our word “angel”) simply means a messenger. In the past I would have said that such an attitude would take away from the special role of the supernatural angels. I no longer think so; God has His ways to get the message through. Why NOT use an average “Joe Blow” as His messenger or ministering angel?
Guess that’s why I just can’t quit listening to Alabama’s “Angels Among Us” (at least twice while composing this–I think I’ll listen to it again); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytBA8Q53qjk .
posted May 19, 2009 at 11:00 am
Actually, I have always prayed to be the person Pope John 23 needs for a miracle to be raised to a saint in the Church. Hasn’t happened yet. But there have been many episodes of grace and /or angels.I too have played a graced/angelic role in other’s life. I feel so privliged when I can help in this holy chain. What I find interesting is your past blogs on the dark night of the soul. This is so cyclic. And it is the absence of the pressence of grace/angels that turns the dark night terrors into high gear. Wanting but not being able to have without knowing why. This is why this idea of stillness and graced looking is so important. Also to gather around you potential angels or to pray to have some type of humans there who if nothing else can see and point to you where the angels are.
posted May 19, 2009 at 1:15 pm
angels are very real and so is god i know for a fact ive had countless times where i could have died very close calls and im still here! Thank you god i will always believe in you and thanks for the angels.
posted May 19, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Angels are real.They come to us most in the darkest moments of our
lives.I have an experience of an angel in my life,though i cannot see
my angel with my naked eye,i always hear his message everyday by the
form of printed documents and read them.You see,it is not necessary for us to really expect to see an angel with wings,right in infront
of us,if that happens,we can never contain the reality of this creatures described in many books.Any good messages,words of wisdom,
Bible quotes,Bible based preachings,anything that says there is God
who is watching over all the affairs of our lives were angel’s messages.If they were in the form of printed documents,or on the Internet site,we cannot receive the message unless we open them and read them with open heart to receive the message.Angels were simply
messengers of God to guide us and guard our hearts deepest desire
for the purpose of enlightening and in receiving their light,we will
be led to the spirit of God,our Father.thank you and let us all be
blessed!
posted May 19, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I just joined this blog, but feel so much inspiration. I’ve felt depressed lately, and have been looking for help. I decided to join this blog, and after reading about angels I think I’ve found mine. Thank you God and everyone.
posted May 20, 2009 at 1:57 am
Dear Therese,
I haven’t written in some time, but always peek to see what is going on. I’m sorry about your tumor…………….I think the devil did it. HA HA Remember the old, really good comedy’s from the past??
THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT.
I too am going thru medical mysteries. I know if I saw 12 doctors,
I would have 12 different opinions. “IT IS WHAT IT IS!”
So I’m struggling to stay sane, while acting like I am. It’s so easy to fool family and friends.
God Bless You Every Minute Of Every Day, Therese.
posted May 20, 2009 at 7:44 am
I know that each and every person that has believe in the creator has a guardian angel. I have been blessed to be brought into this world by the Good Lord through my biological parents. I was sent to the orphanage and whether I knew it or not the Good Lord sent me an Guardian Angel to watch over me and my brother. My Angel has not let any harm or danger come over me. My Angel is with me to monitor my day to day living and to see that I keep bad spirits away from my environment. Even when I do not make good decisions my Angel is their to steer me in the right direction and help me get back on track.I thank God for sending me a Guardian Angel to watch over me and share my gift of loving people even when they don’t love you back.
posted May 20, 2009 at 9:22 am
not to try and write a book about my experiences which i will do someday. But anyway i was at church one Sunday and my Pastor was teching about angels and he said if you want to know who your angel is go to God and he will reveal it to you. I don’t know how many days had passed before i experiencend something so beautiful i’ll never for get. One night i was laying in the bed sleep and this voice called my name and told me to come to her. It was the biggest the most beautiful angel i’ve ever seen (i only seen) and she was sitting on the edge of my be. She said i heard that you were inquiring about me, my name is Veronica and I am your guardian angel. I’m always with you but i was sent by God to show myself. She then told me to give her my hands and she palmed them and said your hands are for healing, and she then told me that she was going to put her hand on my head and what i was going to feel was the power of God. When she did that I fell to my needs with the glory of God all over me all i could do was to worship him and feel the love he has for me. Nothing on this earth can describe the love that God has for me/us. This was awesome. I’ve had other things happen to me i just want to write a book or something to let people know that God exist and that his love for us is so real. So if you want to know who your guardian angel is seek God for the answer and he will reveal it to you it’s the most beautiful experience ever.