Experiencing Angels

Yes, I believe in angels.

I have had two very personal encounters with angels this week, one from each realm. 

Apparently my time to go has not come yet because heavenly guardians saved my life on Friday. Never have I been so close to a near-death experience, yet so calm. As I accelerated up the icy mountain slope to work, my car tires lost traction while a logging truck was barrelling down the mountain on the opposite side. My car began to turn into a 360, taking up the entire narrow road. The truck wasn't stopping. Just as he was about to hit me head-on, my car completed it's spin in the reversal of natural gravity, throwing me into a snowdrift on the safe side of the road. No damage anywhere, car or me, to show from it. Had he hit me, if I hadn't died from force on impact, I would most likely have fallen down the sheer cliff edge of the mountain. Yes, I believe in angels. Praise the Lord for His protection!!!

Thrust into the throes of evil, darkness infiltrated the hearts of many."Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," Ephesians 6:10-12. Spiritual warfare was waging this weekend at work. Even though I am always aware of the opposition up against us in fighting the battle for these young women's hearts and lives, Satan has not had to make himself extremely acknowledged lately. But the more the Spirit of God fills the place, the more threatened Satan becomes. I can honestly say that I have never witnessed such a powerful display of demonic possession as one particular girl, M, circled the room, face red, pulling her hair, muttering unintelligible things, falling to the floor, and then rocking herself in a ball. As I prayed, revoking Satan's hold over her, I continued to remind the concerned and freaked out onlooking girls no matter how scared or unsafe they felt, that God's power is always able to overcome anything Satan initiates. "Behold I give you authority...over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you," Luke 10:19. As I prayed for a covering of protection and the prevailing force of God to win this war for her heart, I felt like I was reminding myself of those same promises. From mid-afternoon on, leading up to this situation, emotions were raging and the entire community was in a tizzy over an incident involving razor blades, betrayal, and gossip. 18 girls is a lot to have out of control all at once, and my intuition knew I needed to de-escalate all of them before someone got physically hurt. Unfortunately, I still had to take a trip to the ER for a girl, R, with a broken hand because she punched the wall in her rage, but it could have been so much worse. Following that incident, I sat them down in a circle, and my co-worker began to pray peace over the entire place and the hearts of each of the girls. Through that I had the wonderful privilege of being there when R accepted the Lord as her Savior through it all. HOW EXCITING!!! The community is still in a weird place, and the oppression is still hovering... M is far from being on the other side of the darkness yet, but passed through it with a victory last night. 

If I could put a status on my present state it would be, "Exhausted but aware and still fighting." Because what do we fight for? The hearts and minds of many! May we as Christians be encouraged, "Fight the good  fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called" (1 Tim 6:12)

On my drive home today I was encourage by the words of the song, "Savior, Please"

I try to be so tough

But I'm just not strong enough

I can't do this alone

God, I need you to hold on to me