Watch Out For Angels

We are surrounded by angels, seen and unseen.
I'm helped at their hands on a daily basis.
Heavenly Father sends them.
Beautiful scriptures describe angelic beings. Here's just one;

"...For I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."            D&C 84:88

The apostles have spoken to us about angels many times.
I especially love Jeffrey Holland's thoughts.
Read his beautiful conference talk, "The Ministry of Angels," to hear his counsel.

I personally live with two of the "seen" type of angels.
This is not just my opinion either.
My dear daughter-in-law once told me that she believed that both of the ones in my house will go straight to the celestial kingdom when they finish up here. Just a gold, non-stop pass straight to the top. No waiting around.

Other people think this about them too. Mainly because they have devoted their lives to the service of others.

They've spent years caring for the old, broken members of their family, bringing them into their home to do so.
Only someone who's taken care of old people 24/7 really knows what this means. They do this in their free time.

Beth says, 'Don't worry about us Ma," because she says she has a witness that they picked this assignment before coming here.

Some assignment. First they teach Seminary at 5:30 in the morning, after getting up at 4:00 to pray and prepare. Then off they go in the dark to hold up a light so the most valiant can see.

Then off they go to work.
This is so they can give every last bit of energy they possess to loving and guiding HUNDREDS of other teenagers, sometimes the most troubled ones.

When the workday is done they come home to care for some loved but ancient family member. Currently this is a broken, still bandaged mother, unable to stand or walk, who won't be still and insists that she be helped in and out of bed in order to do her mischief.

On weekends they often think it's a good idea to cook for the "Westside" family. They're concerned that we're a bit isolated out here in the wild west.
They want all the young people to feel "connected " to family and the Church.

Our "Eastside" loved ones are busily blessed with two of the cutest great-grandbabies ever, and are already surrounded by other church members and extended family.
Plus Lisa is there to care for them. They are well connected.

So Beth and Kelley think that spur of the moment barbeques and Disney movie nights will help kids "make connections." Kids includes Isaac, one of the cutest little two-year-olds ever, a grand-nephew. The angels say he needs the little ties that bind too.

As an added benefit, it's hoped that this frenzy of activity might give their tired sister and brother-in-law a break.
You see, Kim and Scott are the parents of seven kids, five of them currently teenagers.
This can make you really tired.

So on a Saturday afternoon Kelley heads out to fetch and then drag home carloads of groceries. Beth then begins to chop and grill them.
Soon the house fills up with 15 loud and hungry people looking to connect.

However, this angelic connection-promoting behavior, while praiseworthy, can sometimes lead to further, unplanned opportunities.

For instance, a few Sundays ago all the family were sitting together at Stake Conference.
A note came down the row to Beth.

She read,

"Our mother says we made her tired and she's going to take a nap after church. She won't cook for us. She says we are old enough to feed ourselves. Can we come home with you? Will you feed us?"
Signed by some teenager.

So angels then make dinner in less than 30 minutes, for a dozen hungry people, mostly teenagers, who walk in the door at the same time as the angels do, and want food RIGHT NOW, without any prior notice, warning, shopping or preparing. On a day of rest.

Nevertheless, all this being said, you need to know that these particular angels are not always exactly angelic.
There's another side.

I've found that angels can also be bossy, patronizing, devious, stubborn and annoying.
And highly opinionated.
For instance.
They will unjustly confiscate your paintbrushes, and spray paint, and eventually ban you from any painting at all.

Angels lie.
They tell falsehoods about where sharp implements are kept. This is so old people can't grate carrots.
And though they deny any knowlege of the whereabouts of the breadmaking machine, they've actually hidden it so you won't make a mess.

In fact, they hide all "dangerous or messy" items like potting soil.
Potting soil and paint are evil and are hidden in secret places somewhere deep in the garage.

Angels have bad taste at times too.
They don't like the best colors, underappreciate fine art, and think innocent flowers, like geraniums are "old fashioned."
You will not be allowed to plant geraniums.

Angels don't want you to go into their clean kitchen to make dinner.

Angels will tell you to be still, they will do it later.
Angels don't want you to do it now.

Angels will tell you that you are driving them crazy. Yet, there they sit, behind the steering wheel.

Remember, I warned you.
Watch out for angels.