Could this man be a “Leather-faced” Angel?

What’s your perspective about miracles?  Has anything supernaturally happened in your life?  Do you equate a person’s demeanor, lifestyle, or beliefs to the manner in which our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ dispenses His favor?  What’s your take on just pure Lady Luck?

Well, this week’s blog is another true story about a family I  worshipped with a few years ago.  Their names have been altered for security reasons, but the facts are true and worth retelling low these many years later.

Plus, its my way of letting you know that God searches his earth day and night seeking someone to converse with, to bless and to save.  He truly stands at the door and knocks, hoping that because there is no door knob on his side, you will let him come in and sup with you.  (Revelations 2:20)

My personal godly chit-chats over my lifetime in his service have been awesome and from time to time I will continue to blog about them.  But since I also like to write and to interview others, it is my hope that you will also enjoy reading about total strangers who may or may not realize the handiwork of our true Father in Heaven as he desires to direct their lives.  For as you know, when you open the door it can and will provide both opportunities and adversaries that will necessitate his intervention.

So, with the expressed permission of Barry and Glenda McFarland (not their real names), below is my church newsletter article of their encounter with a man Barry refers to as the “Leather-faced” angel.

 Separately, over the past few weeks, I approached Barry and Glenda somewhere in the halls of the church, to find out if they would be interested to re-tell an interesting and inspiring but potentially deadly incident that had happened to their family back in 1993.

I knew of this incident because at the time it happened, Barry was walking around the church in a state of shock and amazement sharing the experience with anyone who would listen.  After hearing his story, I pondered it for a few days, than placed it in the back of my mind.  However, I never really forgot it.  So when I needed a second article for the church’s newsletter, I began my hunt for the McFarlands.

I found Barry a few Saturdays ago in the rear choir room.  He was taking a breather between his counseling meeting with some single parents of the church and the youth department’s rehearsal for the puppet ministry.  It did not take long for Minister McFarland to close his eyes and conjure up images of what had happened that early autumn mourning in October 1993.

“I remember distinctly, it was Men’s Day at the church on October 10th, our son Joshua was two years old; and when we got to church some brothers were here from Redland Baptist Church talking to us men trying to get us to forge a partnership in ministry.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

“At home, about 6:00 a.m. that Sunday mourning, I was awakened by a tremendously loud bang on my front door.  Glenda and Joshua were asleep.  ‘Bang.’ ‘Bang.’ ‘Bang.’  The sound came again and again.  Each knock more furious than the last.  I jumped up, grabbed by shot gun and ran down stairs.

“FIRE! Everybody out!” the voice on the other side of the door was shouting.  There’s no fire in here, I thought.  With one hand I grabbed the front door knob to open it and with the other hand I tossed the shotgun over onto the love seat.  I yanked opened the door.  A leather-faced short man was standing there.  ‘What do you mean, fire. There’s no firrr…’ ‘Ping!’  ‘Ping!’ went the sound of breaking glass behind me.  I turned to investigate the noise, but when I quickly looked back at my leather-faced stranger, he was gone!

“My gawd, how could he have gotten off the porch and across the cul de sac that quickly.  No time to hunt for him now.  I bound up the stairs calling for Glenda to get up and get the baby.  Let’s get out of here.  The house is on fire!  We all got outside safely and just as we got into the family car and was backing down the drive way, the County Fire Department was running across our front yard with water hoses.  You see, the Fire Department is next door to our house.

“Where is the fire?” one of the firemen asked us as we passed him in the driveway.  We could all see the curtains at the back of the house ignite and hear glass breaking.  The firemen ran around back and the flames were shooting up the rear of the house just below Joshua’s window.

“Thanks to the quick actions of the Fire Department, the flames only did exterior damage and only smoke damage to the interior.  Yet how the fire started remained a mystery.  “How do you think the fire started, Mr. McFarland?” asked the fireman.  ‘I have no idea’, I said.  ‘It’s true we barbequed yesterday, but as you can see, the grille is yards away from the house near the back fence.’  “Well, how did you know there was a fire?” was the fireman’s next question.  ‘Some short leather-faced man knocked on our door and awakened us, but he disappeared.’

“‘By the way, how did the Fire Department know that my house was on fire?’ I asked.  “Some man stuck his head in the front door of the fire station and yelled that there was a fire next door.  When we ran to investigate, we didn’t see anybody, but saw flames coming from the back of your house,” replied the fireman.

At this point, I interrupted Barry and asked if he thought the leathered faced man was his guardian angel.  Barry’s response was, I don’t know about no guardian angel, all I know and this is real clear…that my Father who is in heaven is looking down on me and my family and he keeps watch over us both day and night.

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