Sunday, April 4, 2010

Lost But Not Alone by Kim Jackson

"Lost" was not an accurate assessment of my situation. "Lost-without-a-clue-how-to-be-found" summed it up better.

It was the second day of our outreach trip to Caracas, Venezuela. Due to a major miscommunication, I was left standing alone, on a Saturday evening, in a city of two million.


It really didn't matter that I don't speak Spanish, because there was one small detail standing between me and the apartment where I was staying: I didn't know the address....not even the general location. All I knew was that the building across the street had big red doors.

This fact led to one benefit of being lost in a foreign country. Your prayer life instantly improves. In my moment of crisis, I felt led to pray for an angel. I've often read about angel activity in the Bible, but I'd never prayed for one. What did I have to lose?

So I prayed, "God, I am so lost...and I don't know how to get found. Please send an angel to help me."

No swarming sea of seraphim raced to my rescue. Not a single winged creature appeared.

But a blond-haired gentleman in line for a soon-departing bus caught my attention. To this day I am amazed at what I did next.

I followed him onto the bus.

I sat down across from him, behind the driver. The bus had barely pulled away when the blond-haired man turned to me and asked, in English, with a German accent, "Do you know which stop is yours?"

"No," I squeaked.

"Describe it to me."

I told him about the only landmark I recalled: the building with the huge red doors.

"Ah," he said. "I know where that is. It's one stop before mine. I'll tell the driver to let you off there."

I was in shock. I was on the right bus. I was on my way home!

My awe at this divine intervention grew as we continued to talk. He told me his name was Axel, and he was completing an internship and was leaving Venezuela Monday.

Finally I confessed, "Sir, I don't know what you're going to think about this, but I believe you are an angel."

He tilted his head and laughed. "Dressed like this?"

"My Bible says angels can travel incognito. All I know is that I was lost, and now I'm on my home."

Suddenly we were stopping at the building with the brightly painted doors. I shook Axel's hand before stepping from the bus. "Thank you, thank you, and God bless you!"

I ran to the apartment and attempted to tell my Venezuelan host family about my incredible adventure. Later in the privacy of my room, the details of the evening played over and over in my mind. I sobbed as relief and gratitude swept over me.

Then I opened my Bible and began reading in Psalms where I had left off the night before. My heart welled up with thankfulness as I read from Psalm 34:

"I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

When I read verse 7, God's loving confirmation initiated another round of tears. "The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear him and he saves them."

Now there could be no doubt: God had indeed sent me Axel the Angel.

3 comments:

Emily F. said...

What a story! God is so amazing!
You might want to look at that last line . . .
:-)
Jenn

Kim Jackson said...

Thank you, Jenn and Ann--yes, the amazing power of one word--changes everything, doesn't it?!?! :)

Gail Burton Purath said...

This is a great story. I hope you put our Budapest team on your list of notifications for it.