"Angels are around us, angels beside us, angels within us. Angels are watching over you when times are good or stressed. Their wings wrap gently around you, whispering you are loved an blessed…”
Have you ever felt a comforting presence even though no one else was around or noticed a light in the corner of your eye, even though there was no beam of light when you turned towards the light? Angels are among us. These moments are just a few of the amazing signs that we are in the presence of one. Here are four signs you’ve encountered an angel, based on the book “Encountering Angels” by Judith MacNutt featuring real stories of people who have experienced angelic encounters. When we are in the presence of angels, we know that God is close.
You Wake Up to the Presence of a Bright Light
Many people think that angels only appeared during Biblical times or to the mystics, but angels appear every day to everyday people. In one of the book’s stories, an angel appeared to a farmer’s wife in southwest Missouri to open her eyes to the spiritual realm. As she was dozing off on her sofa, something woke her up. When her eyes were opened, she saw a bright light followed by a bright blue ball. A little girl who looked to be about eight years old stood there. She didn’t have wings or hands. She felt a sense of calm in her presence. The young angel was only there for about 30 seconds when she disappeared, along with the blue light. Weeks later, the woman came down with pneumonia and was taken to the hospital. Through this time of trial, she felt a sense of inner strength and comfort and her presence in her healing. After this experience, she was positive that God existed and angels in heaven.
You Hear a Voice or Voices When No One Is Around
Some people are graced by God to see angels while others are graced by Him to hear them, MacNutt says. A woman featured in the book had been diagnosed with cancer. Given other people had received bad news, the pastor gathered them together at the church. As she sat a few rows from the back, she felt a powerful presence of the Lord and hear several male tenor voices behind them, and those voices were remarkable. But when she turned around, nobody was there. She turned to a friend and asked if she could hear the sound, and she said yes and was shocked that they both heard the same sound. This incident suggests they were hearing the sound of a heavenly chorus.
In the Presence of Total Peace
Angels can show up and ease suffering by bringing the presence of peace. After 22 years of a marriage, a woman went through a period of devastation after a painful divorce. During this tough period, her mother contracted ampullary cancer and needed surgery. She and her siblings remained in the hospital so they wouldn’t be alone. The weight of all of these things really began to take a toll on her. She attended church and received a prayer. When she returned home that same night, and was laying in bed, she saw large, brilliant angels standing around the walls of her room with outstretched wings. In that moment, she was not afraid and felt a peace she had never experienced before. After the angels were no longer in sight, she experienced her first night of restful sleep. This was a sign that the angels were sent by God to watch over her.
Grief Enveloped By Comfort
Sometimes, angels will show up during periods of grief, despair, helplessness and loss and present a sense of comfort and hope. In one of the featured stories, a young woman felt this presence after her beloved dog died. She cried night and day, and really had trouble motivating herself. At this low point, she called out to God. “It’s too much, God,” she prayed. “Please help me.” In this moment, her pain stopped suddenly, along with her tears and she felt a presence in the her room. She felt a deep sense of peace. In this moment, she felt the presence of what she felt was an angel that was there to ease her suffering. God sent this angel because He knew the weight she carried as a way to ease her suffering. She knew only God could ease her suffering so quickly and completely.
