Chris' guardian angel story

In October of 2006, I was invited to participate with over 50 Southern Baptist Missionaries in a Global Mission Conference at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Florida. I had heard that this church had a motorcycle ministry, of which I was very interested. My hope was to return to Japan in 2007 and begin a motorcycle ministry to the many Japanese men that come to the island of Hokkaido, where we lived as missionaries, every year.

When I arrived at Bell Shoals, the leader of the F.A.I.T.H. riders motorcycle ministry asked me if I would like to go with the group to Daytona Beach to participate in an evangelistic event for the multitudes of bikers that come to Biketoberfest. I said that I would love to, but didn’t have a bike to ride. The group found a motorcycle for me to ride, and early on a Saturday morning in October, I found myself on a 1500cc motorcycle, cruising down the highway to the opposite side of Florida.

After experiencing a wonderful day of ministry, we headed back across Florida to the Tampa area. The leader of the group and I separated from the rest to fuel up. After we got back on the interstate, something very frightening happened to me.

We were very close to Orlando, and approaching an entrance ramp to the highway. My new-found brother in Christ was just in front of me as we began passing the on-ramp. There was a car coming down the ramp onto the highway and didn’t notice that I was in the first lane. There was a car immediately behind me, so to slow down quickly would have caused them to rear end me at 75 mph. The car coming down the ramp came closer, almost touching my front tire with their back panel. I had no choice but to immediately go into the lane beside me, not knowing if there was a car there or not. The decision had to be made in a split second, or I would have been struck by the rear quarter panel of the car coming onto the highway, and found myself skidding along the highway, surely to be struck by another vehicle in the heavy traffic.

I prayed as I pulled into the lane beside me, and, with great thanksgiving to the Lord, there was no one there.

Just a few miles up the road, we pulled off to meet the rest of the group at a Bob Evans restaurant. As I stopped my bike, my friend said that he was watching the incident, praying that all would turn out well. We went into the restaurant to meet the rest of our group, and my friend told the story to the rest. I slipped out and went to the restroom to splash some cold water on my face and take a moment for myself.

On the way back to the table, I noticed a young lady with a bus-cart full of dirty dishes. I hadn’t noticed her there on the way to the restroom. She looked at me with a gaze that went right through me and said “hello”. I returned the greeting and walked on to the table with my friends. I ordered, and then sensed that I really needed to go outside and have some time with the Lord. I retraced the route from which I had just come…no young lady with a bus-cart full of dirty dishes.

I went outside and had a time of thanksgiving and gratitude with the Lord, shedding a few tears that He would look after a wretch like me with such tender care.

As I returned back to my table, there was the same young lady with the same intense gaze. She repeated her greeting: “hello”. I, again, returned the greeting and walked back to the table.

As I sat back down, I asked another friend if he had seen the young lady when he went to the restroom. He said no, and we went on with our conversation.

The next morning, I was sitting in the worship service listening to Gordon Fort, one of the Vice Presidents of the International Mission Board, and a dear friend. God interrupted the sermon for me as I, almost audibly, heard Him say “Chris, do you remember yesterday?” I said “Lord, how can I forget yesterday. You saved my life!” He replied “Chris, the young lady you saw in the restaurant was your guardian angel”. In the middle of the service, I had to restrain myself from jumping up and shouting.

After the service, my host family was taking me out to lunch for one last time of fellowship with them before I left to return home later that afternoon. I hadn’t had a chance to share with them the previous night about what had happened, so I filled them in on the way to dinner. Before I could even share about what God revealed to me during the service, the wife, who was sitting in the back seat, leaned forward with great excitement and said, “Chris! That was your guardian angel!” I told them that is what God revealed to me during the service. It was a wonderful affirmation to what God had shared.

I truly do believe that God allowed me to see the physical manifestation of the angel that He has put in my life to watch over me. What a wonderful, loving God we have. To Him be all the Glory, forever and ever.