Ministry from Angels by Tracy Williamson

In the lead up to Christmas I cannot help but find my thoughts turning towards angels and their role in our lives.  We have the famous story of the Angel Gabriel making himself known to both Zechariah and to Mary, announcing incredible and life changing news to both.  Am awesome experience?  Yes but one that shattered their lives forever as they'd been living and planning them, but which had beautiful, wondrous, life reverberating repercussions.

Last week I attended a ladies lunch at our church leader's home.  I'd felt reluctant to go as I knew one of the ladies was going to get us to make angels.  Any group creative activity like that puts me in a panic.   Many reasons why, but I think the main ones were that I was always told I was a fool at school as my deafness had not been diagnosed.  In group activities I never heard the teacher's instructions and inevitably came under his/her wrath and was teased by the children or shouted at for ruining the class masterpiece.  Also the very illness that had made me deaf meant that I was in hospital throughout my toddler years and never had the experience of exploring, discovering and play that is inherent to toddlerhood.

So . . . when I heard that our ladies lunch was to be taken up by making angels I panicked.  I even felt tearful and was getting ready to say I wouldn't go when God nudged me inside with a clear indication that this was an important thing for me to do.  

So I went.  And from the start was captivated by all that Ruth had to share.  She told us some stories of her own experiences with angels including seeing her 2 year old daughter jerked back to safety when she'd pulled away from Ruth's hand and run across a busy sideroad.  No one was there but when Ruth questioned her she said 'someone pulled me back'.  Other stories shared revealed how angels are sent to strengthen us, protect us, bring God's messages to us, minister to us and war against Satan's armies on our behalf.  And yet the very angels are full of wonder in what God has done for us in making us His beloved children.  WE have an authority bestowed on us that the very angels don't have becasue we are seated on high with Jesus and loved with the everlasting love of the Father.  How awesome is our God.  

When it came to the creative part, well, you can see the result here!  WE had fun with milk cartons, loo rolls, glue, silver paper and scissors!  I don't think anyone would ever look at mine and think, 'Oh yes, that's one of God's awesome angels!'  but the point is, God was healing that deep fear in my heart by compelling me to be there to take part and dare to try creating.  The angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation and they were certainly ministering to me there in that ladies lunch.  Fear will always raise its head and whisper its ugly doubts and lies to hold us back.  I'm always hesitant to try new things or step out, even into a new way of writing.  But one of the most common messages the angels bring in the Bible is: 'Do not fear!'  AS a writer I want to be someone that who embraces life and sees it as an adventure.  As surely as the angel's were guiding, ministering to and protecting Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, so they are me and you.  I've never seen an angel, but I've experienced amazing interventions and unaccountable events that I can only attribue to their loving power on my behalf.  

Open our eyes and our hearts Lord that we can embrace the life you've called us to live and the destiny you've set before us, knowing that your very angel armies are with us always.  Help us to live, to write and to be as an adventure with you.  

Tracy lives in Kent sharing a home and ministry with blind singer songwriter Marilyn Baker.  Tracy loves ministering to people to see broken hearts made whole and loves writing to encourage and inspire.  her dream is to write a novel and have the courage to take that step to write the first few words on that novel path.   Tracy has written 9 books of a devotional and Christian teaching genre.  Otyher than ministry and writing, Tracy loves meals with friends, cuddling dogs and eating chocolate except she's not allowing herself to do that much!