Sonrise Magazine

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.  Hebrews 13:2  (KJV) 

Angelic activity has long been a reality for me. My dad’s story when I was a teenager piqued my interest in the existence of heavenly beings. After work one day, Dad stopped by a small neighborhood grocery store. As he located the items on his list, a stranger approached him and said he was hungry. Without hesitation, Dad asked what groceries he needed and gathered those as the man pointed them out. The stranger followed him to check out, and when Dad turned around to hand him the groceries, the stranger disappeared. Dad said, “Joyce, that stranger was an angel. God wanted to test my heart to see if I cared about the hungry and needy.”

“Angels in Disguise” watercolor by Kathy Hunt

For many years, based on  Dad’s experience, I maintained the simplistic attitude that the main reason angels visit you is to test you. However, throughout the years, I have developed a better understanding of angelic visitations by listening to people’s stories and researching this topic.  So, I asked God to let me experience angels more. A verse that stood out to me was Hebrews 1:14 (NKJV):  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. Jesus Himself was ministered to by angels following his temptation:  “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels ministered to Him” Matthew 4:11 (NKJV).

I waited expectantly to see what angelic visitation would look like for me.  My experience with the angelic has been much unlike Dad’s as, rather than a physical manifestation, I have often encountered angels as ministering spirits. As angels minister to me personally or as I serve others, I experience warmth and a deep serenity. The most profound understanding of ministering angels occurred during two hospital visits. During my first visit, I asked God to send angels; during the second visit, angels were already on assignment when I entered the room.

A middle-aged friend, Kathy, lay in grave condition in an ICU following a week of presumed flu. However, the diagnosis was something far worse. The flesh-eating bacterial infection, necrotizing fasciitis that destroys the muscle, skin, and fat tissue it attaches to, had infernally invaded Kathy’s body. Since this infestation was still in liquid form, the doctor ordered an internal flush hoping the bacteria had not yet attached itself as a solid form that would destroy vital organs. The flush was a risky procedure, so her situation was grave. The husband called me to join a team of believers surrounding her bed before the procedure, which would hopefully save her from a torturous death.

After I joined the circle, the husband asked if I would pray for Kathy’s healing. I had never publicly prayed for healing, so I was very nervous. I felt compelled to pray first that God send angels to minister along with us as we encircled her bed. As I then paused, searching for words, I felt something very lightweight, airy, and warm wedge itself between Kathy’s husband and me . Angels had joined the circle; I felt warmth and power as I prayed. Surely, God’s presence was in that place.

I returned home in absolute awe of God. Later that evening, I received the call that the procedure revealed nothing solid was attached to any tissues or organs. Kathy had awakened, now able to communicate, and emerged with the prognosis that she was on her way to a full recovery.

My second experience had a much different outcome. It was with a family I knew well. The elderly Czechoslovakian mother, Ivanna, close to death, had been hospitalized for several weeks. By tradition, the family encamped in her room, never leaving her bedside as they administered to her needs. My pastor requested that I visit the family at the hospital since he would be out of town for  the weekend.

As I approached Ivanna’s room, one of her daughters crossed the hallway to sit in the visitor waiting room. I waved at her and asked if I could enter her mother’s room; she nodded in agreement. I was surprised as I entered to find no one except her mother in the room. And I quickly determined that the mother was near death. I had no idea why the daughter had left. Or why the other daughters were not there. So, I walked around the bed singing hymns, quoting scripture, and praying for peace although I knew Ivanna would not understand much outside her native language. I also saw a prayer book in her language on a stand beside her bed. From two places, one toward Ivanna’s head and one toward her feet. I experienced a warm, gentle sensation, like a smooth airflow, every time I passed those areas. I was fascinated by the warm, breezy spots. My third time around, I lingered inquiringly, puzzled by the atmospheric change.  I was then overtaken by the revelation that the warm areas were inhabited by angels sent to minister to Ivanna from head to toe, ushering her into heaven. 

Shortly afterward, I recognized her breathing pattern had changed, so I ran across the hallway to grab her daughter. I said, “You need to come. Your mom is close to taking her last breath.” She burst into tears and didn’t move. She shared that her mom wanted none of the family near her in her room when she died because she wanted to protect them from that searing experience. “But I want to be there,” she said. I told her it was evident that her mom was going peacefully, so the best gift she could give her mom and bring closure to herself was to go into Ivanna’s room and read the prayers from the well-worn, well-loved. prayerbook. After the daughter read one prayer,  Ivanna slipped away peacefully.  I once again walked around her bed; there was no more evidence of angelic presence. This verse then came to mind for the family: I leave the gift of peace with you—My peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but My perfect peace.  John 14:27 (TPT). It warmed their hearts to realize that Mom had never been in the room alone because God tasked angelic visitors to minister to her and accompany her to heaven.

I was reminded of how much we miss by not unlocking the resources of heaven with the authority we have.  One of those resources is angelic encounters.  In difficult places, I often envision the beautiful picture painted through Jacob’s dream–angels ascending and descending on the stairway from heaven to earth, tasked to protect, comfort, guard, and guide us. Do we believe that angels still ascend and descend today?  How might God use angelic encounters to enhance our witness?

Joyce Olsen (Sonrise Magazine Editor) Author. Majored in Child Psychology and Elementary Education at Biola University and Fresno State University in California. However, her natural bent seemed to better match business and administration. In those fields, she worked in corporate administration, church administration, and also as an Information Security Analyst in the medical field. The focus of her writing is to inspire and provoke thought.