I woke up and felt something on my back. I thought it was just bumps from the rocks I’d slept on, but no.
It was ticks! Three of them that I could feel and they’d imbedded themselves into my skin and were getting fat from my blood. I could get my hand around to my back to where they were and tried to twist them out. I probably didn’t get the heads, but I’d deal with that later. I was lost in the hills, had slept on the rocky shore of a lake all night, and I needed to get home. But I wasn’t afraid because something wonderful had happened the day before.
I was walking up in the hills behind my apartment. I took my Bible and thought I’d hike a little and then sit down to read. I hiked a lot more than a little, sat down to read and when I got up, I realized I didn’t know which direction was home. It was getting late and I started to get very scared and hungry. I prayed and walked on. In about an hour I found some berries and that satisfied my hunger somewhat. I sat down again and started to cry, “God, You’ve got to get me out of here. It’s going to be dark soon and I’m afraid.” I cried some more and then through teary eyes I looked up into the sky and saw an amazing sight.
A real angel! It was in white and was blowing a trumpet. I didn’t know if it was male or female and I didn’t see any wings either, but what I felt was peace. In my spirit I heard, “It’s going to be okay, don’t worry.” At that moment I knew which way to go and I wasn’t afraid anymore. It was dusk when I looked down the hill and about 100 feet away I could see a lake. I was so thirsty by then, it was a really welcome sight. But what now?
It was getting too dark to go any further and I didn’t want to go back up into the trees so I decided to sleep where I was. The ground was rocky and kind of slanted, but I found what I thought was the best spot, curled up and slept.
When I woke in the morning, after pulling out tick bodies, I started around the lake. I walked a ways and realized the shoreline went in and out a lot. I knew the lakes up in that area, so I knew if I walked around the lake I would come to something I recognized and I could get home. Then I spotted some fishermen across the way. I yelled over to them and they saw me. But how was I going to get to them?
I would have to swim across. I wrapped up my Bible in the jacket I was wearing and began to swim across the lake. It was a very long swim, but I was a good swimmer so I knew I’d make it. I was a wet rat when I got out of the water and exhausted. The fisherman and his two sons kindly gave me a ride back to my home.
In Genesis 24 God sent an angel ahead of Abraham’s servant to protect him and prosper him when he went to find a wife for Isaac. The servant took ten camels laden with precious gifts including jewels of silver and gold, clothing and other costly things. Even with robbers along the way, the angel cleared the path and the servant got there with all the camels and gifts protected.
Miraculously my Bible didn’t get wet with the swim across the lake; I had food and water, a ride home, and best of all, I had my very first vision of a real angel, who went before me and protected me on my way.
This experience happened many years ago but it’s just as real to me today.
Love, Carolyn
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