Universal Life Church

By Julie Shephard

Angels and Miracles

Dear members,

Today I would like to tell you a story about a man who is very dear to me.

His name is John. I was drawn to John because of a conversation we had one morning concerning angels and how the world seems to be in shambles, and the middle east seems to be on a collision course. John commented that as long as there are angels and we remember always to consult our higher source, we can't go wrong. The middle east will not be in shambles for no reason, and the world will not blow up. Angels will not allow it.

Angels will always make sure that the guy who was supposed to push the button gets a flat tire that day and doesn't show up for work. Or that perhaps the wires aren't connected properly, or the fuse detonates prematurely, or that a tree branch accidentally falls in the road preventinghim from getting to work on time to make the deadline for the bomb.

For whatever reason it takes, angels are always there over seeing things. And they gladly help us, if we just remember to ask them for help. You see, they need to be asked. Sometimes they won't intervene unless we ask, so we have to be conscious of asking for help.

John says miracles are normal. A friend of mine had made a comment once about how psychics operate quote, "From a different reality" and John asked, "and which reality is that? There is only one reality." And so I had to ask myself if the reality from which miracles spring is the same reality as our own. Because, believe it or not, if it is, then miracles are normal, and we should expect them. For those of us who have experienced miracles, they are easy to overlook. Maybe we need to pay more attention, because they happen every day.

Take, for example, the day I was body surfing in 6th grade with my middle school Oceanography class. This was in San Diego, at a beach known for rip tides, and there I was, the world's weakest swimmer, being dragged out 50 feet by a rip tide. I tried to swim over, through, under, until finally I thought for sure I had no breath left in me and thoughts of dieing were not unrealistic. I prayed for help. I was gasping for air, feeling dumb. And suddenly from behind me came a surf board and a voice that said, "Do you want some help?" I said yes and clung to the board, while the occupant paddled to shore and dumped my body on the sand. When I turned around, the surfer was gone, and I was too tired to care.

At that point I felt the kind of odd sensation you get when you realize a miracle has just happened. How did a surfer come from behind me, and where did he go? Did I pray for help right before he appeared, because I believe I did. And ever since that moment I have thanked the angels for helping me to live, and I became a believer. Just ask around and you will discover friends of yours who have similar stories. They have a bit of surrealism to them, and tend to leave a lasting impression. But what's cool is the amount of detail that one remembers when reciting the stories back. That great detail seems to exist 10 or 20 years later, as if the event was yesterday, and that's because miracles are profound life-changing events. But are they

normal or not? I believe they are.

Please think on this as your week progresses. Take the time to write down any miracles you can remember and share them with your friends. One person's miracle is another person's inspiration and life. We need each other.

Your story, freely given, may be the one that helps a potential suicide victim, addict, or depressed individual. It might be the story that leads them to believe that religion is all about faith in the unseen. So share your story, believe that angels are right there every minute that you call on them and believe in them, and keep the faith. Your testimony counts. Your experiences count. And if you haven't had a miracle happen to you yet, keep looking.

They are happening around you all the time, and sometimes all it takes is awareness to see the beauty which was always there. Just open your eyes and look. The miracles are there, and they are very much a part of our reality.

As for my friend John, he will tell you that he was saved from a terrible big rig crash, in which his truck flew over a hill side into brush and housing many feet below. Witnesses reported an amazing recovery, and John walked away unscathed. Was his story more amazing than mine? I think not. Do you have equally amazing stories? I'll bet you do.

Thank you.

I'm Rev. Julie Shepard

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