Excerpt from Where Miracles Happen

JOAN WESTER ANDERSON Author of the New York Times best seller Where Angels Walk

Where Miracles Happen TRUE STORIES OF H EAVENLY ENCOUNTERS

Update d, with 8 new stor ies !

Joan Wester A nderson

where miracles happen T rue S tor i e s

of

H e av e n ly E ncou n t e r s

© 1994, 2009 by Joan Wester Anderson All rights reserved.

A previous edition of this book was published by Ballantine Books (New York, 1994).

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise marked, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, © 1973, 1978 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Scripture quotations marked “NAB” are taken from the New American Bible, © 1991 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Used by permission.

Cover photo Courtesy Stephan Forster Cover design by Judine O’Shea Interior design by Adam Moroschan and Joan Bledig Library of Congress Cataloging-­in-­P ublication Data Anderson, Joan Wester.

Where miracles happen : true stories of heavenly encounters / Joan Wester Anderson. p. cm.

Originally published: Brooklyn, N.Y. : Brett Books, c1994.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8294-2903-9 ISBN-10: 0-8294-2903-4 1. Angels. 2. Miracles. I. Title.

BL477.A53 2009 202'.117--dc22

2009009703 Printed in the United States of America 09 10 11 12 13 14 Versa 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my grandchildren: Kelly, Sean, Jack, and Michael, You are the miracles in my life.

Also by Joan Wester Anderson

a ngels a n d won der s: t r u e s t o r i e s o f h e av e n o n e a r t h gua r di a n a ngels: t ru e stor ies of a nsw er e d pr ay er s i n t h e a r ms of a ngels: t r u e s t o r i e s o f h e av e n l y g u a r d i a n s t h e pow er of mir acl es: t r u e s t o r i e s o f g o d ’s p r e s e n c e

Contents Acknowledgments ix Prologue xi What Are Miracles? xvii

Part One: Miracles through Prayer 1 A Promise on Mother’s Day 6 Answer in the Wind 10 Vital Signs 13 Deliverance from the Depths 17 Perfect Timing 22 Heavenly Mission 34 A Sign for Our Times 38 A Light unto Her Path 42 Mysterious Medication 45 Rescues on the Road 51 Beanie Baby Blessing 60

Part Two: Angels in Our Midst 65 Miracle at Christmas 71 Protector in the Barn 76 v

Contents

Hospital Helpers 81 “Have You Been Praying?” 90 Wonder at Wrigley Field 96 The Vanishing Lifeguard 100 Miracle Miles 104 Summons to the Danger Zone 109 Christmas Messenger 112

Part Three: Miracles from Beyond 117 A Rainbow from Andy 122 From Darkness to Light 128 Between Heaven and Earth 131 One Last Good-­Bye 140 Escort to Paradise 144 Hope’s Golden Thread 147 Message in the Night 152 A White Rose, with Dew 155

Part Four: Healings from Heaven 159 A Forgiving Heart 166 The Apple of His Eye 172 Helping Hands 178 vi

Contents

Vision on the Windshield 183 Circle of Love 188 Chelsea’s Miracle 193

Part Five: God’s Special Miracles 201 Tender Treasures 205 The Lord of Wind and Flame 209 Angel in the Tree 214 Miracles in Multiples 218 Always Near 229 In the Midst of Battle 232 On Butterfly Wings 238 Miracle at the Mall 242 The Last Christmas Gift 246 Into the Arms of an Angel 249 God Calling 254

Epilogue 259 Discussion Questions 261 Notes 263 Author’s Afterword 265 About the Author 266 vii

Part t wo

a ngels in o ur midst Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, as you read these words, an angel whispers in your ear, speaking of God’s unconditional love for you, words you can hear if you listen carefully?

—M itch F inley, Everybody Has a Guardian Angel

a ngels in our midst

W

hen Randy Owen left his office to do some errands on a drizzly day, his mother, Nathalie, was concerned. Ice storms are common in Dallas, and her worry increased as the temperature plummeted. “Angels,” she said, “please put a ring of protection around Randy, wherever he drives today.”

Randy returned, and Nathalie hugged him in relief. “Mom,” he said excitedly, “you’ll never believe this!” At an overpass, about a dozen cars had lost control at the same time, including his. They slid, spun, and eventually stopped. “Everything seemed to happen in slow motion,” Randy explained. “But though we ended up facing every which way, we were all about an inch apart—and no one was hit!” The drivers had gotten out and examined one another’s cars in amazement. How could such a thing have happened?

Nathalie just smiled—and sent thanksgiving heavenward.

h Karen Sue and Mike Reilly went with some young missionaries to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to tell people about Jesus. Karen Sue had never done anything like this before, and she felt awkward and shy.

One day the young people marched into a dangerous section of the city. More ­experienced members warned the novices that the people living there would harass them and throw things at them. As they went along, singing and praising God, Karen Sue became very nervous.

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Excerpted from Where Miracles Happen by Joan Wester Anderson.

Copyrighted material.

a ngels in our midst

Then, as she looked over her right shoulder, she spotted a blond man in light clothing. He was walking a shiny ten-­speed bike, and he was smiling at her. “There was a glow about him,” she recalls. “And it was strange, because most people in Amsterdam wear dark clothes.

And no one has such a bike—they are all rusty with fat tires—and his would have been stolen the first time he parked it in that area.”

Somehow, Karen Sue had become the last one marching. But now she didn’t feel anxious at all. Occasionally, she looked over her shoulder to see the man following her, watching her. Would she get a chance to talk with him?

The walk ended safely in front of the mission’s coffee shop.

But Karen Sue’s escort had disappeared. She understood. He had guarded her through the dark part of her journey, and there was no need for her to see him anymore.

h George sat next to me on a plane, and he told of a time when he had moved to a new city and was living alone, unconnected to friends or family. “I most remember the intense loneliness,” he said. At times it was so painful that he wondered if life was even worth the struggle.

One evening he entered a restaurant for a meal. The smiling host approached him. “Table for two?” he asked.

What was wrong with the man? George wondered. “For one,” he answered firmly.

To purchase a copy of Where Miracles Happen, visit www.loyolapress.com/store.

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a ngels in our midst

The host looked puzzled, and he escorted George to a table for two, where he pulled out both chairs.

Soon a waitress approached. She set down two menus and poured two glasses of ice water. Preoccupied, George barely noticed.

But when his dinner came, something began to happen. As if on a mental scroll, George began to see his blessings. He had health, eyesight, a decent job, a nice apartment . . . most of all, God loved him. George hadn’t thought about God for a while. He had been trying to handle everything himself. Now, as he ate, he could almost feel his depression lifting, being replaced by cheerful anticipation.

Life wasn’t so bad, after all.

By the time George approached the counter with his check, he was smiling. The cashier smiled back as she handed him his change.

“Guess your friend wasn’t hungry tonight, hmm?” she commented.

George was almost to his car before it finally sank in. Three restaurant employees had apparently seen someone with him that evening. Was it an elaborate hoax? If so, how could anyone account for the unexpected feeling of well-­being that now permeated his spirit after months of misery?

“I think my angel came to bring me faith and comfort in a way that would leave no doubt,” George told me. “It was a turning point for me.”

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Excerpted from Where Miracles Happen by Joan Wester Anderson.

Copyrighted material.

a ngels in our midst

Whether we can see angels or not, and whether they come as ordinary-­looking people or as apparitions, they are indeed evidence of miraculous intervention, answers to prayer. Angels act as liaisons between heaven and earth (the word angel comes from a Greek word meaning “messenger”) and also protect us from harm. Of course, God often touches us directly. But angels are mentioned more than three hundred times in Scripture, so God obviously intended them to play an important part in his plan.

The idea of angels is prevalent in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But interest in them declined in the eighteenth century during the Age of Enlightenment, with its emphasis on reason and science.

When the Reverend Billy Graham decided to preach on angels in the early 1970s, he found little or nothing had been written about them for decades. Graham not only undertook a study on the subject, but he also wrote Angels: God’s Secret Agents, which became a best seller and probably the forerunner of what became a revival in the interest in angels. “In the midst of the world crisis through which we are destined to live in the years ahead,” he wrote, “the subject of angels will be of great comfort and inspiration to believers in God—and a challenge to unbelievers to believe.”

He was right. Today, people are reading up on angels, asking their guardian angel to intercede for them or a loved one—and examining the “coincidences” in their own lives with growing awareness. A 2008 Harris survey reported that 71 percent of Americans To purchase a copy of Where Miracles Happen, visit www.loyolapress.com/store.

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a ngels in our midst

believe angels exist; an earlier Gallup poll found that 75 percent of teenagers believe in angels. Angels also provide reassurance in the midst of confusion. “I cannot tell you how wonderful I feel, knowing that I have a spiritual companion,” one former skeptic wrote to me.

According to their intrigued parents, an increasing number of young children seem to be seeing angels too. “Our preschooler seemed so surprised when I told him I could not see the angel in his room,” a father wrote. On another occasion, after a hysterical mother had suddenly calmed down and successfully performed CPR on her unconscious baby, her three-­year-­old asked, “Mommy, who was that man behind you with his hand on your shoulder?” The mother hadn’t seen or felt anyone nearby.2 Perhaps to children, heaven is still a faint but specific memory, and they remain easily connected to both worlds for a while. We should remain open to these experiences, for our little ones may have much to teach us.

It’s important to remember that while angels weave in and out of history—and our lives—they are never stand-­ins for God. They intercede at God’s call, carry his concern and love to us, and bring us God’s miraculous peace that passes all understanding. “Angels belong to a uniquely different dimension of creation that we, limited to the natural order, can scarcely comprehend,” says Reverend Graham.

But when one touches us, we know it.

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Excerpted from Where Miracles Happen by Joan Wester Anderson.

Copyrighted material.

$14.95 U.S.

TO SOME, “IT’S A MIRACLE!” IS NOTHING MORE THAN A COMMON EXPRESSION. TO OTHERS, IT’S NOTHING LESS THAN A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE DIVINE.

Joan Wester Anderson is the author of numerous books on angels, including the New York Times bestseller Where Angels Walk. She has been a freelance writer and popular speaker for more than 30 years and is a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows. She and her husband live in Prospect Heights, Illinois.

Visit her Web site at JoanWAnderson.com.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8294-2903-9 ISBN-10: 0-8294-2903-4

where mir acles happen

I

N AN AGE OF EVER-ADVANCING SCIENCE, the idea that miracles— real, God-initiated miracles—can and do happen is often cast to the side of the rational road and considered nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of desperate people. But to those individuals who have actually experienced amazing, supernatural occurrences firsthand, miracles are just as real as the air we breathe.

In this updated edition of Where Miracles Happen, national best-selling author Joan Wester Anderson—affectionately known to her readers as the “Angel Lady”—offers a collection of 45 stories of miraculous events and angelic encounters. From physical healing to bodily protection to divine guidance and provision, each story is grounded in orthodox Christian beliefs and reinforces the likelihood that the veil between heaven and earth is not as thick as we may think.

A NDERSON

spirituality/inspir ation

JOAN WESTER ANDERSON Author of the New York Times best seller Where Angels Walk

Where Miracles Happen TRUE STORIES OF H EAVENLY ENCOUNTERS

Update d, with 8 new stor ies !