As a toddler, Niki, experiences a life-threatening episode in her crib. Her guardian angel gently rouses her parents from their sleep to come to her rescue.

Last February, Dave’s only daughter of 35, Niki, gave birth to her very first baby, Stevie. To celebrate the long awaited arrival of this precious child, Dave brought pizza and soda pop to the hospital room. But, before eating, and with the incredible feeling in the air of having just received this wonderful gift from God, Dave insisted on a special circle prayer with his family.

As they held hands together, Dave asked a sacred blessing on the lives of his beautiful new Grand-daughter, as well as her exhausted, but starry-eyed parents; that they would have strength and courage as they set forth in their new lives together.

After his blessing, this proud new Grandfather went on to share what happened 33 years ago, when Dave and his, then wife, Patty, were just new parents themselves. It was the memory of Niki as a toddler in her crib, and the time that her very life was in danger. Still just as vivid as it was back then, to this day, Dave relates the following.

It was a hot summer night, around 2 am, when Dave was roused awake in the most peaceful manner. Unbeknownst to him, his wife, Patty, was awakened, too. Bleary-eyed, I’m sure, and adjusting to waking life, both heard their daughter, Niki, quietly making sounds in the other room.

“Come on. She needs your help! Come on. She needs you,” pleaded the young heavenly being that had the sweetest voice possible. In mid-air, this two foot,  translucent female angel with wings fluttering quickly, hovered up and down toward the top of the bedroom door. The soft nightlight in the hall behind her, gave away the angelic shape of this heavenly being.

Paralyzed with shock at what he was seeing, Dave quickly nudged Patty, who was faced away on her side, to go to Niki. But because Patty was witnessing the same unusual sight, she hesitated too, before quickly getting up to head for the door. But as she did this, Dave will never forget watching this little opaque, swirling, angelic being, quickly swooping around and through the doorway with Patty, for Stevie’s room.

After Patty remedied the situation by stopping Niki from choking, and returned to bed, Dave, pointing to the door in amazement, said, “Did you see that?”  She had, but for some reason unknown to Dave, Patty did not want to talk about it any further, then. And… to this day, 33 years later, she never has.

Commentary- Throughout all history, Biblical history included, when people had an encounter with an actual angel, their reactions could vary from awe to alarm, as it is not something one normally sees. Add to it, being awakened by one with an urgent directive to save the life of your own child. But this wise angel did wake them up gently and used the sweetest voice possible as to avoid frightening them even more than they already were. Fortunately, this potentially devastating crisis was successfully averted.

This shows that, although angels have tremendous power, they can’t do everything by themselves- sometimes they need the help of a human being to accomplish their mission. Perhaps this has something to do with free will. Or maybe this has to do with needing a physical being to actually affect another physical being. Or it could be to show us that angels actually do exist and watch over us and our lives. 

Little angels

Like all of us, angels do seem to come in all shapes and sizes. However, having witnessed a variety of angels myself, I have never personally witnessed one like the one that Dave and Patty saw. A two-foot female child angel, quickly hovering up and down with wings attached to her arms. This is not the typical angel described by most people who have seen one.

To this day, Dave has never forgotten any detail of his vivid experience. Even as he told me about it, it was as if he were living through the experience all over again. Dave was still marveling at what a remarkable impression it made on him and how grateful he was that she came to help them to save Niki’s life.

The fact that Patty could not speak of the angel at the time, or even later, is not surprising. It’s a lot for the brain to take in. Dave knows Patty saw the same angel he saw, as later, she was overheard by Dave talking to their Pastor about it

Many times, what is seen in the spiritual realm is so jarring, because it is so far outside the brain’s programming, and could be perceived as a threat of the unknown by our brain, that does its best to try to fiercely protect us from whatever it thinks it is protecting us from. Perhaps this is a reason why angels remain hidden from view in our everyday lives unless absolutely necessary.

Having a supernatural experience can trigger some common defense mechanisms. This could look like any of the following: 

• Questioning one’s own senses and experience
• Discounting what was experienced.
• Denial
• Needing validation from another that what one perceived, actually happened
• Thinking one is going crazy or just imagined what happened
• Searching for a logical (physical) explanation where there is none, rather than to just believe without explanation
• Perhaps one’s religion doesn’t allow for such spiritual perceptions and to be a good follower means to reject one’s own experience

But, regardless of Dave and Patty’s differing reactions to seeing Niki’s Guardian Angel for the very first and only time, the important thing here is that Dave and Patty reacted, and Niki was able to grow up to have her own baby, Stevie. Thank goodness for our Guardian Angels!

Angels do watch over us whether we know it or not. Sometimes it is necessary for them to intervene in our lives and we are able to know without any doubt that they are with us. Though much of the time, they are quiet and we never know they are there. But, either way, these angels are our Guardians; protecting us, guiding us and walking through our lives with us, and they love us very much. Remember them, appreciate them and let them know you love them too.

Guardian Angel