Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Write an INSPIRATIONAL or DEVOTIONAL piece (04/26/07)
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TITLE: Angels Watching Over Me | Previous Challenge Entry
By Myrna Noyes
05/01/07 -
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What should she do? She couldn’t just tell him about her dream and the angel’s message. She knew without doubt he would just scoff at her story and pay no attention to her pleadings. As a young boy, Reinder had sat, quiet and attentive, in church every Sunday with his very devout parents, but ever since he had attended the university there in The Hague, Netherlands, and had mingled in secular society, he had lost his child-like faith in God. Now he had a job with an international company that sent him as their representative to other countries all over the world. For his next journey, he had booked passage on the highly acclaimed “unsinkable” ship, the Titanic. Reinder was very much looking forward to this trip, for he had long desired to visit America, the land of opportunity and prosperity.
Mama DeVries prayed in agony of heart and with great earnestness about the situation and then went to speak with her son. “Reinder, I have been thinking about your upcoming voyage to America. Do you not think you would be more comfortable on a Dutch liner where they speak our language than on a ship where English is used almost exclusively? You know your English is not very good at all. Why don’t you exchange your ticket while it is still possible?”
“Oh, Mama, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel on the maiden sailing of such a first class, modern vessel. It would be foolish to pass it up. Nothing can go wrong, and I’ll do just fine.” He smiled with youthful confidence into her troubled eyes.
“Son, I don’t have a good feeling about this trip. Won’t you reconsider? For my sake?”
Reinder didn’t want to change his ticket, but his mother seemed so concerned, and he admitted that she was right about the language barrier. Maybe he would have an easier and more companionable time with some of his fellow countrymen on one of their own steamers. After much thought, he decided to rebook his trip and soon set out for the States on a Dutch ship instead.
They had an uneventful crossing, but as soon as the boat docked and Reinder had disembarked, he was shocked and shaken at the cries of the newsboys on the street, hawking their papers: “Extra! Extra! Titanic sinks in Atlantic Ocean. Many lives lost!”
Mama DeVries always believed the dream was a warning directly from God to save her son’s life. There was no question in her mind that if he had gone on the Titanic, he would have died outside of a saving relationship with Jesus. Many years later, after Reinder came to faith in Christ for himself, his mother finally told him about her angel dream, and he was awestruck that God cared so much for a heedless, wayward young man. Reinder knew that even though he was not a Christian at that time, he was saved because of the deep faith and abiding trust of his godly mother and because of the love of his heavenly Father who sent an angel to watch over him.
What are angels then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by Him to help those who are to receive salvation. Hebrews 1:14 TEV
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This is a true story about my mother’s stepfather and my beloved Opa.
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Sorry for my late comment, but I had to add my two cents. I loved the ending and the young man's willingness to listen to an elder, even though he was a (I like to hold out hope for all) PRE-CHRISTIAN. Thanks for sharing this one. Don
I sold a story a year ago to Angels on Earth("The Hungry Dragonfly") Your's would be a great one to send to them.
Don