Entertaining Angels Unaware! -- as told by Garrison Hartman
Do we unknowingly entertain angels sometime during our life? Can that really be? What might they look like? How would we know if we encountered an angel?
I believe I saw an angel when I was at Pacific Grove, Ca. with my family when I was about 10 years old. This is how I remember it.
At that time our family car was a, big station wagon so there was plenty of room for carrying everything we might need for a trip to the ocean. My Dad was an Elk Grove High School teacher and he and mom had agreed to chaperone a group of female Student Government leaders for a training event at the Asilomar Conference grounds. I remember my parents assured me that we would have lots of family time to explore the tide pools – and I wouldn’t have to be bored doing the “girl” things with the high school kids. Cool. I was excited!
So on Friday evening after school, we made the trip to Pacific Grove, found the dorm we were to stay in and unpacked our things. I think Galen and I slept in sleeping bags on the floor in the same room with Mom and Dad. I could hear the noisy high school kids in nearby dorm rooms but soon drifted off to sleep - anticipating tomorrow’s beach time.
The next morning we had breakfast at the cafeteria and the high school girls dispersed to their different workshops; now our family could go to the beach! I remember sand everywhere, huge trees with trunks and branches permanently twisted and bent over from the constant ocean winds. All along the beach front there were acres of beautiful blooming ice plants…bright iridescent purple and neon pink – God’s hand-print was everywhere.
The sun was ablaze and the wind was cool as we walked down the beach toward the tide pools; we sat down and took our shoes and socks off to enjoy the warm sand on our feet…but when we got to the tide pools, we had to put our sneakers on again - wet and slippery rocks, sharp shells and moss everywhere.
As expected it was low tide and the tide pools were very accessible…marine plants and animals were ours to discover. I put my hands in the water…sea anemones, starfish, hermit crabs and other little sea creatures were wriggling in the shallow water. The quick ones scurried away to their homes in the crevices of the rocks. Pinches from some crabs let us know we were intruding in their world and so we moved on. What else could we find? So much to see, hear, smell, touch and experience. Life!
During other beach visits, at high tide, we made sand castles and watched as the waves washed them away, squeezed wet sand between our toes, wrote messages in the wet sand with a stick, ran up and down the beach playing tag and romped in the cold edges of the surf. So much fun!
The sight and sound of the eternal sea…another evidence of intelligent design in this our amazing universe.
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The sun was ablaze and the wind was cool as we walked down the beach toward the tide pools; we sat down and took our shoes and socks off to enjoy the warm sand on our feet…but when we got to the tide pools, we had to put our sneakers on again - wet and slippery rocks, sharp shells and moss everywhere.
As expected it was low tide and the tide pools were very accessible…marine plants and animals were ours to discover. I put my hands in the water…sea anemones, starfish, hermit crabs and other little sea creatures were wriggling in the shallow water. The quick ones scurried away to their homes in the crevices of the rocks. Pinches from some crabs let us know we were intruding in their world and so we moved on. What else could we find? So much to see, hear, smell, touch and experience. Life!
During other beach visits, at high tide, we made sand castles and watched as the waves washed them away, squeezed wet sand between our toes, wrote messages in the wet sand with a stick, ran up and down the beach playing tag and romped in the cold edges of the surf. So much fun!
The sight and sound of the eternal sea…another evidence of intelligent design in this our amazing universe.
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About that angel sighting…It was during a lunch time back at the conference grounds…lunch time required Dad and Mom to touch base with the high school girls…chaperon duties, food, laughter…good times.
I didn’t feel well that day and wasn’t up to eating so I asked if I could sit on the wooden steps just outside the entrance of the cafeteria and catch some fresh air. Dad and Mom were a little reluctant – but finally agreed after I promised not to leave the front steps... I’m sure Mom worried some. None the less, I was sitting on the steps remembering yesterday’s tide pool visits and the sand on my feet; I was looking forward to explore the beach again sometime soon.
And then I saw a man on an old bicycle riding slowly toward me. My bicycle at home was nicer than his I thought. He seemed to be looking at me. As he approached I noticed his clothes were wrinkled and baggy…and he wore an old hat. He didn’t look scary, he looked kind of sad. Who was he? What did he want? What should I do?
Just then he seemed to get up a little courage and rode up to me and asked, “What are you doing out here, how come you are not inside eating?” I still remember not wanting to tell him that I was sick, I’m not sure why…I guess I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me?
I answered, “Just waiting for Mom and Dad to finish eating.”
He then asked, “Could you find a little food for me, I haven’t eaten in a couple of days?”
“I’ll ask my Dad, he’s inside - I’ll be right back,” I said, as the cafeteria door swung closed behind me. My Dad was always a generous man, so I knew he would be willing to help me. Off I dashed through the lunch crowd to where my Mom and Dad and my little brother were eating. “Daddy,” I asked, “can we give some food to the man outside on a bicycle? He is very hungry. He just needs some food.”
Dad quizzed me briefly for details then we set about preparing a paper plate for the man. Together, Dad and I began walking through the crowd, around tables and chairs holding the plate of food above the heads of others still seated at their tables – soon we were at the door. I took the plate of food from Dad and anxiously looked out the door toward the tree where I last saw the man on the bicycle.
But he was gone! Nowhere in sight. No bicycle. No man. We looked around the building; we walked up the driveway close by - he was nowhere to be found. He had simply disappeared. There was only one road in and out of our retreat area and it was at least a couple of hundred yards of straight road! There is no way he could have made it out of sight in such a short amount of time…How can that be?
“He was just here,” I said to my Dad. “I told him I would be right back.”
My heart sank. I wanted to help and get this man some food - he looked so hungry and I had food. I looked up to my Dad for answers. He motioned to me and we both sat down on the wooden steps. With a soft voice Dad explained, “Garrison, you were willing to help. We got some food together for the stranger. We brought it to him. Even though we didn’t get to give it to him, we tried. God gave you a special experience to learn a special lesson: The lesson of giving. Giving provides a blessing for both the one who gives and the one who receives.”
He then put his hand on my shoulder and softly said, “I believe you saw an angel. You know, the Bible talks about people seeing angels – and sometimes they don’t look we imagine them.”
I let that idea soak in my young mind for some time.
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I didn’t feel well that day and wasn’t up to eating so I asked if I could sit on the wooden steps just outside the entrance of the cafeteria and catch some fresh air. Dad and Mom were a little reluctant – but finally agreed after I promised not to leave the front steps... I’m sure Mom worried some. None the less, I was sitting on the steps remembering yesterday’s tide pool visits and the sand on my feet; I was looking forward to explore the beach again sometime soon.
And then I saw a man on an old bicycle riding slowly toward me. My bicycle at home was nicer than his I thought. He seemed to be looking at me. As he approached I noticed his clothes were wrinkled and baggy…and he wore an old hat. He didn’t look scary, he looked kind of sad. Who was he? What did he want? What should I do?
Just then he seemed to get up a little courage and rode up to me and asked, “What are you doing out here, how come you are not inside eating?” I still remember not wanting to tell him that I was sick, I’m not sure why…I guess I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me?
I answered, “Just waiting for Mom and Dad to finish eating.”
He then asked, “Could you find a little food for me, I haven’t eaten in a couple of days?”
“I’ll ask my Dad, he’s inside - I’ll be right back,” I said, as the cafeteria door swung closed behind me. My Dad was always a generous man, so I knew he would be willing to help me. Off I dashed through the lunch crowd to where my Mom and Dad and my little brother were eating. “Daddy,” I asked, “can we give some food to the man outside on a bicycle? He is very hungry. He just needs some food.”
Dad quizzed me briefly for details then we set about preparing a paper plate for the man. Together, Dad and I began walking through the crowd, around tables and chairs holding the plate of food above the heads of others still seated at their tables – soon we were at the door. I took the plate of food from Dad and anxiously looked out the door toward the tree where I last saw the man on the bicycle.
But he was gone! Nowhere in sight. No bicycle. No man. We looked around the building; we walked up the driveway close by - he was nowhere to be found. He had simply disappeared. There was only one road in and out of our retreat area and it was at least a couple of hundred yards of straight road! There is no way he could have made it out of sight in such a short amount of time…How can that be?
“He was just here,” I said to my Dad. “I told him I would be right back.”
My heart sank. I wanted to help and get this man some food - he looked so hungry and I had food. I looked up to my Dad for answers. He motioned to me and we both sat down on the wooden steps. With a soft voice Dad explained, “Garrison, you were willing to help. We got some food together for the stranger. We brought it to him. Even though we didn’t get to give it to him, we tried. God gave you a special experience to learn a special lesson: The lesson of giving. Giving provides a blessing for both the one who gives and the one who receives.”
He then put his hand on my shoulder and softly said, “I believe you saw an angel. You know, the Bible talks about people seeing angels – and sometimes they don’t look we imagine them.”
I let that idea soak in my young mind for some time.
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I am now a grown man with adult children of my own. As I recall that long ago story, I have come to this conclusion; I do believe God sent an angel to me in Pacific Grove, and the lesson learned that day is an enduring part of my life still today. Indeed it is more blessed to give than to receive…Thank you Lord for teaching me the lesson of giving as a very young child.
– Blessings, Garrison Hartman
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Reflection Stories Note: Hebrews 13:1,2 - “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”
– Blessings, Garrison Hartman
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Reflection Stories Note: Hebrews 13:1,2 - “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”