Elijah - an Angel Story

One of the things that has occurred to me since I last wrote, about what I wrote is the revelation is that God is near not far and that the time or space between this world and eternity is but a thin veil. The Tiune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not far away and distant but rather intimately close. Closer that you or I might realise or comprehend. In the midst of my trevail, my pain and suffering there was my God, above below and in the midst of my circumstances, in the midst of my life.

Recently I was sharing with someone and found myself reminded of a desire I voice not long after Elijah went to the Lord. That was that I didn’t want to forget what it was like to hold Elijah and to feel him close to me. In a way I voiced this as a prayer, and it only occurred to me when my nephews visited this past weekend how the Lord the Father of compassionate heard my inmost yearnings and answered my prayer.

For a week or so before this last weekend my sister Bernadette who lives in Dunedin said she was planning to come to Christchurch for a business training conference for two days and I told her as always she was welcome to stay with us. In the last 10 days before her arrival she asked if it was ok to bring her two sons to stay as well. We had visited with them in Dunedin – 4/5 hours drive south of Christchurch, last Christmas. The last time they stayed with us was when Elijah went to the Lord, they were with us during this time and stayed a number of days with us. Mitchell my oldest nephew is 3 days older than my daughter Francesca and Logan is about 8 months younger than Elijah. And so it was they arrived on the Friday night and whilst their Mum attended the training conference they were part of our family. It didn’t take long for Francesca and Mitchell to strike up where they had last left of and in some ways Logan was on his own. This was not to say they didn’t include him in their play – but…. I was fascinated that he gravitated to Elijah’s toys and not just any but his favourite ones. This really touched me and so I engaged in helping him finding the balls for the toys and switching the noise on. This was Logan, but I was also seeing Elijah speaking to me through Logan’s actions. This was not to be all. On the Sunday we took the kids out to the Christchurch Arts Centre and also to the park. I can’t remember exactly the circumstances – but Logan fell and hurt himself, and I immediately felt that fatherly instinct kick and I scooped down to pick him and cuddle him. Tears in his eyes and head nestled into my neck he calmed. I asked him if he wanted to walk or for me to carry him – he indicated the later and for about 15 minutes I enjoyed the blessing of his embrace. Thanks be to God he knows us and hears us.

until next time
Darren