Day 33 – Three trains and a name

This is the story I thought about today as I walked the Camino. . . .

Several years ago I met this woman at my church who just had the love of Jesus and the holy spirit coming out of her pores.  She was always smiling and laughing.  She had a magnetism about her that was so attractive.  When you were around her, you just wanted to stay in her presence.  She has 3 sons and they were in the process of having children.  She was telling me about her grandchildren and how one of them was given the name of her guardian angel.  I did a double take. . . “what do you mean the name of your guardian angel” I asked.  She told me the name and said she prayed to receive the name of her guardian angel.  I was like “That is a thing?  You can do that?”  She said try it and see what you get.  So I prayed for 3 years to receive the name of my guardian angel.  Now I didn’t know it would take 3 years but whenever I remembered, I prayed to receive the name of my guardian angel.  I do believe we each have an angel specifically assigned to each of us and their job is to look out for us.  To watch over us; to keep us safe.

I thought well what have I got to lose.  Start praying.  So I did.  One day I had a near death situation. . . the closest I’ve ever come to death.  There was a dangerous intersection in my town that involved a 4 way traffic stop where one of the roads ran parallel to a railroad.  I was going thru this intersection approaching to take a left turn and go over the tracks.  They village has done several things to try and make it more safe and the latest was coordinating the lights so that only one direction was green at a time for the road that crossed the tracks.  I knew this and the light had just turned red.  Thus I knew the light sequence would be long until I got a green light so I was prepared to be sitting there for awhile.  Odd thing was the light changed green to proceed which I thought was very strange.  I mean the light had just turned red and now it’s green again so quickly.  I am in the left turn lane so I pull out to turn left.  The next odd thing is the oncoming traffic is approaching the intersection.  Why are they coming if I have a green left turn arrow.  At the last minute of entering the intersection I look at the light again and realize my mistake.  I did not have a green arrow.  Only the traffic going straight in both directions got a green light.  I had a red left arrow.  I was in the wrong but I was already in the middle of the intersection.  In a split second you make a decision, do I go forward or back up.  Because the angles of the intersection was in my favor, I could more easily make the left turn than try and back up and get out of the way.  So I made the left turn easily before the oncoming traffic reached me.  Now the track was before me.  I stopped rather than crossing the tracks.  I had no reason to stop but I did.  The second I stopped, a train ran right by the front of my car.  Had I gone forward to clear the train tracks, I easily would’ve been killed.  I looked in my review mirror and wondered why wasn’t the bar down to avoid a car going into an oncoming train.  I saw the bar come down behind my car!  I was between the track and the train bar!!  The village has since removed this intersection due to its danger.

I was shaking and cleared the tracks once the train was gone.  I pulled over to the side of the road and called this friend from church.  I was so shook up.  She and I talked about how my guardian angel saved my life.  I knew there was no reason to stop as I had no idea a train was coming.  I totally believed my guardian angel saved my life.

About 6 weeks later I was taking the train to work.  I was waiting at the station and it’s a station where trains come from both directions on different tracks.  I could see the train approaching the station but it still was far away yet the bells were ringing and the bars were coming down to prevent people from crossing the tracks.  I wasn’t moving as I was just standing nearby waiting for my train.  I remember thinking why are the bells going off for this train that is still so far away.  I was startled when a train from the other direction ran right by me.  It now made sense on why the bells were ringing and the bars were down.  I was a bit shaken since this is now the second train experience in 6 weeks where I was surprised by a train.  I remember thinking I don’t like trains.

A few weeks later I was returning home from a friend’s house at night.  I was approaching a different train track and the lights turned on the bars came down.  I stopped well short of the train as I seemed to be very anxious around trains lately.  I remember thinking I didn’t want to be any where the track when the train goes by.  I also thought, geez what is the deal with me and trains lately.  I get home safely and go to bed.  I wake up the next morning and the first thought in my head is “Her name is Sarah.”  I was about to ask whose name is Sarah when I remembered the three trains and what I had been praying for.  I then knew the name of my guardian angel was Sarah. 

I believe God had to make this encounter profound enough for me to “get it”.  I used to pray sometimes to God about something and saying you have to hit me over the head with a 2×4 so I get the message.  I don’t ever pray like that now.  I think this experience was God’s way of getting my attention.  I did not care for the way I learned the name of my guardian angel.  It definitely was effective but too much anxiety provoking for me.  Only the first train episode was life threatening which I think was there to tie all the trains to my guardian angel but I still get anxious when I remember these trains.

I didn’t know if I would ever have this prayer answered.  Again, I approached it with the attitude of what do I have to lose.  Three years sounds like a long time but in the span of a lifetime, its really not that long.

So I ask you. . . do you want to know the name of your guardian angel?  Do you believe you have one?  I believe you do.  I now call my by name.  She comforts me as she is with me at all times.  I have never seen her but I believe she is there.  It is amazing that her sole purpose is to protect me.  What an awesome thing.  I have called on her a few times while walking the Camino.  I feel I should’ve talked to her more than I did.  I don’t think doing so changes what or how she protects me.  I think it just give me more comfort.  This trip as been outside of my comfort zone so that is right up Sarah’s line of work!

Santiago: I am 10 miles away.  If all goes well, I should be there on Sunday by noon or 1:00pm.

Home: I am ready to come home.  Honestly I am tired of having sore feet for 33 days.

I have more pictures to post yet so this isn’t the end of this story but I must get to bed.  Tomorrow is a big day.

Buen Camino