“It’s a crazy thing. Fate has perfect wings…”

I’ve heard these lyrics for ANGELS WORKING OVERTIME, by Deana Carter, many times But for some reason, while driving along the Columbia River, they inspired some new, deep thinking. I’ve always had trouble reconciling predestination with free will. How can we be predestined for something and still be able to choose our path? It makes no sense.

Deana Carter's words shed light for the first time on this internal debate. A few posts ago I wrote about angels (they must be in some way central to my life right now.) You can read the post here. But one point I made was that their action in our lives occurs in whispers of truth that we choose to hear or ignore.

This idea matches the concept of predestination as Tim Staples writes in Predestined for Freedom, an article in The Catholic Answers Magazine. To quote Mr. Staples:

“Man is truly free and God calls him to freely choose to serve or not to serve the Lord.”

Because of God’s Grace we are each given the gift of redemption, meaning life with God here and now and after death. Our choice is whether to accept this gift. To imagine that God controls these choices is anti-Catholic. God does not decide wars, nor lottery wins. And certainly God does not decide Congress’ decisions. Rather, God offers, through Grace, the chance to at any point direct our life toward Him.

So how does this relate to Deana Carter’s song and Angels? As I rode along, listening to the lyrics of this song I realized that Angels are part of that grace-filled gift. When we choose to listen, they help us choose that direction
which takes us towards God rather than away; something that in a complex world is not always as obvious as we would like it to be.

This is really obvious as we read the lyrics to Ms. Carter’s song. Which choice was right, which was wrong? Each one has redemption built into it, so that at any point in time we can hear the whisper of the angel and make a decision that leads us back to God.
(By the way.... it's a great album. You can buy it by clicking on the link from the cover photo above:>)

I hope today you feel an angel on your shoulder! And if, perhaps you do- or if you ever have- I would love to hear about it. And, to prove how much I love hearing from you I will be giving away a copy of my book, UNTANGLING
THE KNOT, to one lucky commenter in October. Leave a comment for any of my blog posts and at the end of each month I will randomly select one  visitor/commenter to receive a free download of my book.(Note: winner will be notified by a reply linked to their original comment…. Check back at the end of the month for directions on how to claim your prize!)

NOTE: September is now over; thanks to everyone for your fun comments. I have chosen the winner of
BETTING JESSICA from the names of those who commented during the month. Congratulations  JENNY HANSEN. Please send me and email at dwilstedauthor (at) outlook (dot) com and let me know where I can send your digital copy:>)

“I must have an angel on my shoulder.”

The concept of angels has been on my mind a lot lately. Whenever my daughter is struggling with her anxiety, we call on angels to help her. Specifically, there is a wonderful prayer we say:

Four corners to my bed.
Four angels round my head.
One to watch, two to pray,
and one to keep all fear away.
              -A 16th C English Nursery Rhyme-

We’ve said this prayer since she was a little girl, and on stormy nights like the ones we’ve had lately it seems to comfort her. It probably helps that the angel illustrations in the book are beautiful.

Angels are a confusing entity for most people. Many connect them to the death of a loved one; like the loved one has become an angel sent back to earth. In fact, this is not true. In Catholicism Angels are defined as: A pure spirit created by God. The website, Catholic Online goes, on to explain - The English word "angel" comes from the Greek angelos, which means 'messenger'.

This understanding of the angel messenger can be seen in the angel Gabriel who came to Mary to share the news of her pregnancy with Jesus. Many years ago, when I was in 5th grade, I had the privilege of acting the part of Gabriel (or more accurately, a child practicing to be Gabriel in a Christmas Pageant play.) In every scene of the play I popped into a drama unfolding, and through practicing my lines of peace and joy helped the characters resolve their differences.

Even today I recognize that the angels’ messages aren’t as obvious as either Gabriel’s one to Mary or even a child portraying that angel in a school play. Instead there is often but a whisper of truth or warning that we feel in a moment of decision. Sometimes their presence might influence another who is the ultimate messenger. Case in point, the police officer who gave me a speeding ticket yesterday…. A clear message to slow down, which was reinforced by a friend as I described my life in general right now.

Breath, I hear the angel say. Be present. I’d love to see an angel in person; especially if they are as beautiful as the ones in prayer picture book. But even still, I don’t doubt that, like my overhear above, I’ve already had my fair share in life of angels on my shoulder.