Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! (Hebrews 13:2 NLT).

My late husband, Bill and I were cross-country skiing in the White River Canyon, at the foot of Mt. Hood. An azure blue sky above us, with a biting cold temperature. The snow on Mt. Hood can be unpredictable. Warm temperatures the day before, then a cold clear night causes there to top the fluffy snow with a frosting of ice, making the traverse crusty and difficult to navigate–especially for a greenhorn like me. It was fun traveling up the trail and we cruised it easily. But then the trail ends and you must turn around and go down the trail. Great fun for those more proficient cross-country skiers. Not me. I kept falling down, and it took a lot of time, pulling myself up, brushing the snow off and then attempting to  maneuver down the trail. I had injured a knee the month before and it was still a little sore, but now it began to throb and I wondered if I would make it to the end.

Just then, a skier came into view. We didn’t remember seeing him on the trail earlier–we were the only ones there that Friday morning. He chatted comfortably with us, telling us about how he skied in the Alps where the snow was much more forgiving than here. He gave me some tips on how to navigate down the slippery hill and it worked! I was able to traverse without tumbling down so often. Finally,  we saw the car park in the distance. We turned around to thank the helpful stranger, but he was gone! Where was he? There was no one else on the trail and he had simply disappeared.

In the car driving home, my husband said, “I think we saw an angel on that trail.” Indeed, we were the only ones when he came alongside us. He looked very ordinary and I was assisted by his suggestions.

I believe we did see an angel that day. He didn’t have wings, but looked perfectly normal.  Why would we want to explain away that presence?

The Bible is full of times where angels ministered to people. Why not us?

There’s the prophet Elijah, who had just defeated the priests of Baal. Queen Jezebel was very angry with him for eliminating her priests, and she threatened his life. He ran a “day’s journey.” Most likely the length of a marathon. He was so weary and discouraged, he wanted to die and lay down next to a bush and fell asleep. Here’s where the angel appears: Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”(I Kings 19:5).

The gospels tell about angels appearing to ordinary people, like Mary and Joseph. The apostle Peter. And Jesus in the desert. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him (Mark 1:13). As well as in Gethsemane, Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him  (Luke 22:43).

We are reminded in Hebrews 13:2, Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Why not two people who were struggling to navigate a slippery trail? 

We are also reminded to not worship angels but only God. Today, I am thankful to God for his providing help in the form of an angel when I really needed it. It’s the only time I’m aware that I might have seen an angel.

“Father, thank you for taking care of your saints. Like Elijah. Peter. Mary. Joseph. And sometimes, us. Regardless that an angel ministers to us, You promise to be with us always. We thank you. In the name of Jesus, amen.”

Have you had an experience where it might have been an angel? I’d love to hear your story.

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