The Green Arrow Angel

I walked in the door and headed straight for my computer-- 

to tell this story-

of God's Goodness.

With stacks of things to do-- before it was too late-- before it was simply a faded memory.

And I was too busy to record the Truth of His hand of protection.

 And so......  out running errands and to the bank to cash the check for envelopes.

Leaving the way I always do..... going out to make a left hand turn at the LIGHT.

 With the GREEN LEFT HAND TURN ARROW.

And the White line is far back at this intersection-- 

where to stop -- 

farther than normal to make room for the moving vans

 that make a right hand turn here at this light---

I pressed forward and then a "voice" said Stop HERE. 

 So I took my foot of the brake to move forward. 

 ( I usually like to test all commands.)

 and STOP HERE. 

 So I did. 

Thinking this is really dumb to stay this far back from the intersection. 

 And it is a really long light to wait your turn to turn left here. 

 And the light turned green and I pressed forward--

 and then I saw the blazing flash put of my left eye.

Instinctively I hit the brake

 and was so scared I hit the horn at the same time

 and the red car whizzed in front of my car

 missing me by a couple inches.

And the girl on the cell phone did not slow,

 or turn her head. 

 Just a blatant running of the red light.

 I sat stunned, heart racing and look at the cars on Rolling Road

 and the two drivers looked at me and shook their heads.

Because they saw the instant the angel stopped my car. 

They saw how close I was to being a vehicle t-boned

 and a sitting duck. It is a short green light turn

 and as I  moved through the intersection- 

it already had turned turned yellow. 

 Not even one car got through that green arrow turn.

I continued down the road

 and turned into the post office parking lot, shaking, and

 GAVE THANKS.

THANKS for a voice that beckons me to STOP. 

THANKS for a GOD who is not too busy to see this coming. 

THANKS to my GOD for what DID NOT happen.

And then it hit me-------

 the verses I had read this morning 

and had been thinking about from THE MESSAGE-

SEIZE LIFE !!!  -- Ecclesiates 9: 1-12

Ecclesiastes 9

The Message (MSG)

9 ^{1-3 "}Well, I took all this in and thought it through, inside and out. Here’s what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God’s hands—but, day by day, whether it’s love or hate they’re dealing with, they don’t know.

Anything’s possible. It’s one fate for everybody—righteous and wicked, good people, bad people, the nice and the nasty, worshipers and non-worshipers, committed and uncommitted. I find this outrageous—the worst thing about living on this earth—that everyone’s lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That’s it.

Still, anyone selected out for life has hope, for, as they say, “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” The living at least know something, even if it’s only that they’re going to die. But the dead know nothing and get nothing. They’re a minus that no one remembers. Their loves, their hates, yes, even their dreams, are long gone. There’s not a trace of them left in the affairs of this earth.

^7-10 SEIZE LIFE!

Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.

¹¹ I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is—

The race is not always to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor satisfaction to the wise,
Nor riches to the smart,
Nor grace to the learned.
Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.

¹² No one can predict misfortune.
Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap,
So men and women are caught
By accidents evil and sudden."


So even this---- His hand prepares it all.  And I write it down in my Counting Gifts Journal. And thank God once again for the Green Arrow Angel.  And pour a glass of wine -- with a robust heart, happy that I am not a dead lion.
And take a deep breath look around my world.