Angels Unaware

A week ago last was general conference for the LDS Church as I had mentioned on a previous blog. I loved every talk and there were several that really stood out to me as things I needed to do differently or better in my life. One of the talks that really had an effect on me was one by Elder Jeffery R Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles entitled "The Ministry of Angels." He talked about how hard it was for Adam and Eve to willingly step into mortality because they would no longer be in the Presence of their Father in Heaven. But Father knew the challenges they would face and He sent Angels to reassure them that heaven was very close and that He was always near. Think of all the times there have been angels on the earth for one reason or another...to Mary to let her know she would be the mother of the Son of God, a host of angels sang at the birth of the Savior, an angel told Joseph to flee Egypt after the Savior was born because he was in great danger, and again when it was safe to return. From the beginning of time down to present the Lord has used angels. As I thought about this I could think of many times in my life where Angels were with me leading me, comforting me, bringing me as well as my children through difficult times, guiding our foot steps through impressions etc. There have been spiritual angels as well as human angels here on earth that did not ignore the promptings from our Father in Heaven to come to my aide. This caused me to wonder have I ever been someones human angel because I listened to the spirit and was there for someone who needed me?

A few weeks ago I had lunch with two of my old friends from my grade school and junior high days, Linda Hutchings and Janice Shumway. It was so fun to see them again and reminisce old times as well as catch up on the present. A few weeks after our get together I received in the mail a flash from our past that Linda had written. She attended a class in church that helped her to write down stories from her life and she shared an experience that the three of us were apart of and sent it to both Janice and I. "My Modern Day Little Match Girl". When we were about 12 or 13 years old Janice, Linda and I all lived on the same block. Janice and Linda lived just a few houses a part and I lived around the corner and in the middle of the next street. We traveled back and forth from each others houses a dozen times a day. A new family moved into the apartments on the same street as Linda and Janice. Sharlene, a little 3 or 4 year old girl and her little brother we're apart of that new family. Sharlene had big puppy dog eyes and dark blond matted dandelion hair. She and her brother roamed the neighborhood exploring their surroundings barefooted, simply clad, many times the only thing Sharlene had on was training paints and her little brother a diaper even in cold weather. Linda over heard her parents one day discussing Sharlene's parents, they said they were simple minded. It was obvious they were unable to keep on top of their two small children. In our travels we often encountered this little urchin playing by herself or with her little brother. We often tried to talk to her but she would never respond not even with a smile. We thought maybe she was unable to speak. It tugged on our heart strings to see these sweet little children unkempt and it seemed uncared for. Today the state would have stepped in I'm sure. We got an idea to do something special for Sharlene. I got one of my little sister Bonnie's dresses she had out grown and a pair of shoes and we asked Sharlene to come inside and play with us and showed her the "new to her dress." She was apprehensive at first but looked cautiously interested. We took her in and washed her dirty little face, arms, legs. We washed and combed her matted hair and styled it with ribbons. When she was all clean we placed the new dress and shoes upon her little body. We could see the corners of her mouth turn up, just a little bit in a slight smile. As Linda exclaimed in her writings,"it was like having a live doll to dress and play with." We asked her questions as we dressed her and combed her hair. Did she like her new dress? Would she like us to put ribbons in her hair? Did the new shoes and stockings feel good upon her bare little feet? Her big eyes were glued to us but she never let on in words or body language what she thought of it all. Later that evening Linda was taking out the trash to the incinerator in the back of the property when she saw Sharlene's parents drive into the drive way in the back of the house. All the sudden Sharlene burst through their back door. She excitedly called to her parents as she primped up and down with real words,(she really could speak) "look mommy and daddy some nice girls gave me a new dress and shoes and they fixed my hair with ribbons," she was bursting at the seams with excitement. Her parents told her how pretty she looked. Linda said, "I was so glad to have been a silent, unseen, witness to this little scene." It was great to know we had touched this sweet child's life in a way that made her so happy! A few months later we were back involved in our lives at school and didn't see Sharlene that much. One day we received the sad news that little Sharlene had found some matches and had started her clothes on fire. Her injuries had taken her life. We trio of friends got excused from school to attend Sharlene's small funeral. In today's medical world I'm sure Sharlene would not have lost her life. She looked so perfect in her little casket, her face, arms and legs appeared to be untouched. Her parents told us how happy we had made Sharlene that day with the new dress. This beautiful little child had died before the age of accountability and was an inheritor of the Celestial Kingdom. As I reflect on Elder Hollands talk I think of how blessed we were to have been administering angels to this sweet little child who's life was so short lived. But who administered to whom? She brought us as much joy watching and befriending her as we brought to her maybe even more so. I hope I will have the opportunity to meet Sharlene again some day. And hopefully I will remember to look for other Sharlene's who may come into my life today ..."I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left,...my Spirit shall be shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." D&C 84:88.