Unexpected Angel

I glanced at the clock. Two a.m. Only a few hours left until I needed to take Mom in for her heart procedure. My husband and my best friend had offered to come with me in case Mom got bad news, but I didn’t think I needed help.

Now I regretted saying no. I felt uneasy. Alone. I was new to caregiving. I prayed a frantic prayer. “Lord, please calm my spirit. I’m so anxious.” My oldest son Russ, now a freshman in college, popped into my mind. He hadn’t bothered to call about Mom. Russ had been a challenging teenager—we still weren’t on the best of terms—but he adored his grandmother. Why hadn’t he phoned? Probably out partying.

I slept fitfully until the doorbell rang. Doorbell? I squinted at the clock. Who would be ringing Mom’s doorbell at four a.m? I stumbled to the intercom. “Yes?” A familiar voice said, “Mom, buzz me in.” “Russ? Is that you?” He trudged in and threw a sleeping bag on the living room floor. “I thought you might need someone with you tomorrow.”

The next morning, the three of us held hands and prayed before they wheeled Mom to the operating room. The procedure went well, although it uncovered an underlying heart issue. Having Russ with me calmed the waters. I marveled over God’s unexpected answer to prayer. Russ was my unexpected angel.