A Rose from the Thorns

Numerous angels assembled before the great throne of God, anxiously waiting their next assignment. All accounted for, God turned their attention to the earth below. He targeted a humble little Salvation Army Church in the remote northern community of Thompson, Manitoba. His eyes probed past the asphalt shingles, plywood roofing, insulation, and the gyprock ceiling to reveal the small congregation, searching for one specific individual.

Sitting alone in the front row was a shy seven-year-old girl in a faded second-hand dress, dangling her legs in midair because the chairs were too high for her feet to touch the floor. She was captivated by the wooden cross on the wall because of the story the Captain had just shared about an innocent man named Jesus who had been beaten, whipped, then nailed to a cross to die for the sins of the world. She imagined the great horror He had experienced, for she too had seen and felt much horror in her own short life.

She wasn't aware of the tiny spark of light that lit up her heart, nor of the excitement God felt when He saw it. Suddenly, to the wonder of the angels, God lifted His mighty hand, pointed directly at her, and exclaimed, "There! There she is! I told you about her. See? There she is!"

The angels couldn't understand what God was so excited about, but in His great wisdom He had seen beyond her condition into her future. This child would face many dark events in her life and leap impossible hurdles to run the race that had been set before her. In all her frailty, she would prove to be a determent to Satan's kingdom and a great warrior for her God.

And that was where the angels came in, for their job was to protect her.