A Unique Look At Our Adventures and God’s Angels

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Here’s a story about one of Rev’s adventures and the angel God used to help him finish well…

To make sure I could tell it well, I looked through an old memory box and found a letter and a press article from that time.

For the 50th Anniversary of the Lutheran Hour Broadcast, Rev ran/jogged/walked from Cleveland, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan … 20 miles a day for 10 days.

Rev. Oswald Hoffman, Lutheran Hour Speaker, wrote the following in a letter to donors…

Dear __________,

When somebody gets a crazy idea, he can always get some people to follow him. Here we are following Blake Wolf.

In his enthusiasm, Blake just went off the deep end—and I went off there with him. I’m hooked on running the first mile with him in Cleveland on October 13.

That’s how it began, and here’s how it continued… written by Ron Schlegel, the friend and staff member who wrote press releases and kept Rev safe for the 200-mile “Jog-along”…

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Sometimes the Lord protects and provides for His people in strange and wonderful ways. Blake Wolf can testify to that. On the second day of his Cleveland to Detroit Jog-along, the Lord provided to accompany him and help him on his way, a man who was perhaps an angel of the Lord.

Now Bob Marsh was not your ordinary angel. He appeared as though out of nowhere in Lorain, Ohio. He had been interviewed by a reporter about his participation in the Superwalk for the March of Dimes. The reporter had mentioned that he was on his way to interview another runner, and Marsh stopped by to meet Wolf and wish him well.

Marsh told Wolf about his unique participation in the Superwalk. For five years, he has done the walk, pushing his son in a grocery cart. The previous year, he had completed the 19.5-mile course in 2 hours and 19 minutes.

Marsh then asked Wolf whether he would mind if he accompanied him for the next 10 miles, and Wolf readily accepted his company. Those 10 miles turned out to be the hardest ones of the entire journey. Wolf’s muscles began to tighten up, and the pain became almost unbearable.

He said, “During the last two miles that day, for the first time, I had thoughts that perhaps I couldn’t make it, but the Lord provided Bob Marsh—a man who had no Christian convictions and who didn’t even believe in God—to help me along the way.

Marsh showed Wolf a series of stretching exercises to help keep muscles loose. He set a comfortable pace and kept encouraging him not to stop short of the goal for the day.

That became the turning point for Wolf. Although muscles and knees got sore, he was able to continue without ever again feeling that he might not make it. In fact, he was able to cover each day’s mileage without even considering stopping short.

“Bob helped me a lot,” Wolf said, “and I had a chance to witness to him about my faith. I asked him how it felt to be used by the Lord, and he said, ‘You know, I’ve been thinking about that. I think it had to be more than a coincidence that put me here to help you at this time.'”

The evening of that difficult second day, the phone rang in Wolf’s room. It was Bob Marsh. He had called every motel in the area to find Wolf to make sure he was all right. And the following day, Marsh joined the jog-along again for another 10 miles.

Was it chance or was it divine providence that caused Bob Marsh to appear along the route of that adventure? Blake Wolf is certain that the Lord put Marsh there and used him to help accomplish His plans and purposes.

God used Bob Marsh to give Rev the stretches, strength, and courage he needed to complete this adventure.

But there was another awesome blessing that came from their time together. Many years after the event, Bob once again searched until he found our home phone number.

Why?

Because he wanted Rev to know that God had used him to plant seeds of faith. Bob wanted us to know that he had surrendered his life to the Lord in faith.

God has plans and purposes for us, and he uses people and/or angels to work in us and around us to accomplish His will.

Let’s pray…

A Prayer About God’s Angels and Our Adventures

Father God, thank you for knowing every detail of our lives. Thank you for inspiring David to write…

O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

Psalm 139:1, 3, 5, 17–18

By Your grace, Your children are never alone. You are always watchful and involved with care and compassion. You actively use people and angels to accomplish Your will in our lives and the lives of people around us.

Queen Esther’s uncle prompted her to ponder…

“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14b

I wonder if it’s something you want us to consider more often. You created each of us with unique personalities, gifts, and abilities to be used in ways that accomplish Your will.

Thank you for giving us adventures, and for never leaving us to do them alone. Whether by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the help of people, or the work of angels, You faithfully help us complete Your plans.

Please open my eyes and make me aware of all that You are doing in my life. Bless me with the strength and courage I need to live each day for Your glory. Whether at home or on an adventure, I belong to You now and forever. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

It makes me think of the words from the writer of Hebrews…

Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2 (NCV)

May the Lord be with you and bless you as you strive to carry out His plans and purposes, and may He surround you with the people and/or angels you need along the way.

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