Angels in my life

I've had many in my life, more than I deserve. I've been particularly thinking about angels since hearing Jeffrey Holland's talk during the broadcast of conference. To quote him:

"Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."

I also read the post of my friend Lisa, about 2 of the angels in her life. She has inspired me to think more of my angels.

One of my angels that comes quickly to mind, and I've had many, is Dorothy McGeorge. She was in our ward when I was growing up. She had basically known our family since I was a little girl, but not that well. However, when my 3rd son, McKay was born with a heart condition in 1984 (which he had corrected when he was 9), she would always show up at the hospital. I don't think she missed once in the numerous times he would be admitted there.

She knew I would not leave him alone with the nurses, so she would come and hold him while I went to get something to eat, or run home to take a shower. Somehow, and I was not always sure how, but she would find out we were there, and she would just show up. I could count on her walking through that door.

6 years later, when my husband was critically injured in 1989, she would go to the hospital and just sit with him in ICU, holding his hand, and she would even sing to him or recite poems she had made up.

She called me frequently, for years, just to see how we were doing, and she would say to me, "I pray for you and your family every night." As selfish as this sounds, when she passed away a few years back, I thought...well, who is going to pray for us every night now?

Towards the end of his talk on Saturday, Elder Holland also said:

"...On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we're distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places, often enough that distress can be of our own making. But even then, the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal..."

And the scripture he quoted has always been a favorite of mine. I especially relied on it when my boys were serving missions:

"I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left. My spirit shall be in your heart. And my angels round about you to bear you up."


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Jill, What a beautiful thought--that angels are around us. I totally believe they are. And sometimes you know about them and sometimes you don't. My sister was an angel to me during my first heart surgery. She was here for me during my second one too, but that first time was more precious to me because I didn't have Richard then. I can think of many others that came along just at times when I needed them most. Thanks for sharing. Love, Susan and Dad

Rebecca said...

This post made me cry! Now it has me thinking of angels. Thank you!

grandmapeg said...

This talk of Elder Holland's was great! It is a good reminder to each of us that we do indeed have angels around us helping us. I think it is also a good reminder that we need to be angels for others.

Unknown said...

You pen so beautifully and tying in the quotes with your experiences really brings the Spirit into my heart. Such treasures we have in our lives.

The Gage Cage said...

I think you'd be surprised at how many people consider you an angel in their life. I'm glad you've had several in your life too.

Richard said...

I remember sister McGeorge's husband Roy. He interviewed me as a Deacon and asked if I was "moral." When I said yes, he asked what that meant...I said it meant that we would all die some day...he wisely left it at that.

Anonymous said...

Funny that you thought of Dorothy McGeorge as an angel, as I've always thought of her that way myself! She was not only my piano teacher for many years and wrote me cards for every holiday signing them "your secret admirer" (which I never found out till years later), but also remember her showing up at the scene of an accident I was involved in or almost involved in at least one or more times.

Heidi

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