Standing At Attention

Unknown to me, something very strange was happening during and after Smitty's funeral last Saturday.  My sister Linda initially told me about the event.  She had gone to the funeral with my brother Lowell, his wife, Judy, and two of my brothers, Marcus and Anthony.  They all sat in the same row on the non-family side, filling up the bench completely.  Linda walked in first, followed by Judy.  All the Iwashiges sat across the aisle, on the family side.

When my siblings exited, they exchanged a few words with Chee and others in the family who were lined up outside the chapel,  From there they exited the building to go home.  That's when things began to get surprising.

"Ma'am, Ma'am!" someone called.  Judy and Linda stopped to look back where a short, dark-haired woman was hurrying out of the building toward them.  She wore big black glasses.  The others walking to the vehicle to go home heard parts of what was being said.

"Do you sing?" she asked.

Judy, who seemed to be the one the question was most specifically directed toward, answered a bit uncertainly, "Yes, I sing. . . we sing."

"Well, I just wanted you to know that when you sing, the angels stand at attention," the woman went on.

" Who does this?" Judy asked, still trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Angels.  Heavenly beings.  I sat right behind you during the service.  When you walked in, an angel followed you.  He stood near you during the service.  I just wanted you to know." 

Mind you, the only person who had sung (live) at any time during the service was Shane, who had sung "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" as a solo.  So why was Judy asked about her singing?  Was the lady lumping Judy in with everyone there who seemed to belong to the same group as Shane?

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What does one do with stories like this--besides blogging it?

We've made small attempts to identify the stranger who spoke to Judy, believing that we might gain insight into the context within which she spoke--to no avail.  Bev could not think of anyone with that description who was at the funeral.

Shane says "Color me skeptical."  As was true of others as well, he wondered if the lady had been indulging in mind-altering substances.  He thought it improbable that one would sit calmly through an entire service with such a dramatic phenomenon before one's eyes.  For the record, Judy and Linda both said that nothing about the lady's manner or appearance suggested impairment or unnatural euphoria.

I'd be happy to hear from anyone who would like to offer their perspective on this story.  What it all means is still a mystery to me, but I do find some comfort in thinking of an angel having "stood at attention" during the service.  Whether or not anyone sees such things, I believe that wherever God's people go, their angels attend them.  Angels are also messengers from God.  If there's a message from God in this, I don't want to miss it.

Perhaps the best response is to "stand at attention" before God, to see what He might want to reveal. This season is full of stories of angel appearances to ordinary people who did just that: Zechariah, Mary.  Joseph.  Shepherds.  Every one of them got a front-row seat as the kingdom of God came to earth.  Perhaps it's still that way.  Ordinary people who stand at attention before God are in the right place to witness the kingdom of God as it unfolds before their eyes.

Your thoughts?

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This story may undergo some editing after Judy and Linda read it.  I've repeated it from memory and will defer to their memory wherever it differs from this.