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GRAND CANYON ANGEL
Has there ever been a time in your life when you had the strange feeling that you were not alone? That unseen eyes were watching you? Have you ever sensed that even though no visible presence was anywhere to be seen, nevertheless, someone or some thing was in the room with you? And have there been times when you perceived situations, problems or dangers that you had no way of knowing about? If you have had any of those strange sensations you are not alone. Many people claim to have had those same uncanny feeling and experiences. Do you think there could be any possibility that from time to time, we truly are being observed by persons or things unseen?
It happened back in the sixties when our family was living in Phoenix, Arizona. My wife Kay, our three daughters and our five year old son Flint, and myself had traveled many miles to reach an area on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Once there, we set up camp on a high, forest covered plateau known as the Kaibab. In years past it had been a favorite hunting ground of the Indian tribes and because of the abundance of game there it was a highly prized area. Many fierce battles had been fought between various tribes for its possession. To this very day deer, mountain lion, bear and game birds are still found there in considerable numbers. It was for that very reason that we had driven north from Phoenix, Arizona to this beautiful hunting paradise.
Kay had remained in camp with Flint and the girls while I arose before daylight and drove to a timbered ridge that I'd scouted the previous morning. At that time I'd seen a large buck making his way along the heavily timbered slope. Carefully working my way closer, I found a well worn game trail that the buck had been following. Consequently, the next day, while it was still dark, I arose and drove several miles to the slope that I'd scouted. Once again I climbed the ridge, but this time to a place some twenty yards above and downwind from that same game trail.
Soon I was sitting concealed behind the trunk of a fallen tree, congratulating myself on what an ideal spot this was for an ambush. I was confident that the same buck would soon pass below me, and when he did, I'd be in an excellent position to drop him with a well placed arrow. No bowhunter could have been more enthusiastic and content than I was at that moment. It was a perfect spot and a perfect morning to boot. The air around me was filled with the scent of pine, and just as the sun began to peek above the horizon, I could feel a gentle breeze beginning to stir and lightly fan my cheek. At that moment, life was particularly sweet.
Almost an hour went by, before it began to happen ... a sudden feeling that something was seriously wrong back at camp. Why such a feeling was hitting me I had absolutely no idea, and I was doing my best to shrug it off. Over and over again I told myself that everything in camp was perfectly all right; there was absolutely no cause for alarm. Repeatedly I tried to reassure myself by arguing that I was just being jumpy for no reason. Besides, at any minute, that big buck was going to come through, and it wouldn't be long before I'd be headed back for camp anyway. At least --- that's what I kept telling myself.
But still, I couldn't shake that ominous feeling.
Knowing my wife's capabilities, I was aware that she was well able to look after things in my absence. In addition to that, several other hunting camps were set up nearby; if any need arose, there would be plenty of help available to lend a hand. Nevertheless, try as I might, the feeling that something was terribly wrong simply would not go away.
The absolute last thing that I wanted to do, was to leave my ideal place of concealment, and ruin my ideal morning hunt. Plus, it was a steep climb down, and a long way to the car. I didn't want to have to go through all that for nothing, and especially when the only reason I had for doing so was an uneasy feeling that something might be wrong back at camp. But, more and more that sense of alarm grew. I kept debating with myself, arguing that I was just being paranoid, yet try as I might, I couldn't shake that persistent sixth sense. It just kept telling me that something was not right back at camp and it refused to be silenced.
At last... I reluctantly gave in; I would leave.
Once the decision was made, I wasted no time getting my gear together in preparation for the descent and the long hike that lay ahead. Quickly shouldering my quiver of arrows, and with bow in hand, I set off down the mountain, alternately walking, and then running toward where I'd left my vehicle.
It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Soon I was pulling into camp, and leaping from my vehicle I ran to find my wife! I quickly located her, and could see at once that worry was written all over her features; I also saw that she'd been crying. Before I could even ask what had gone wrong, she blurted out the words, "Flint is missing!" Quickly she poured out her story.
She had taken Flint and had gone to visit with a woman at a nearby camp site. During the conversation she learned that one of their children was in need of a pair of shoes. Their little girl had thrown one of her shoes out of the window somewhere on the road. We had an extra pair of small shoes at our tent, which was only about thirty yards away. Sending Flint to bring them back, Kay remained to talk with her new acquaintance. She could see our tent from where she and her neighbor were sitting and talking. Flint had been playing all around the campsite area, so Kay wasn't unduly concerned.
Finally realizing that some time had passed and he had not returned, she tried to look and see what was detaining him, but he wasn't in sight anywhere. Thinking he had been momentarily distracted, and had stopped to play, she called out to him to hurry up. There was no reply. Getting up and walking to our tent, she looked inside and saw that the shoes had not been picked up and Flint was nowhere in sight. Immediately she and the other woman began to look for him, expecting to find him engrossed in examining something, or playing somewhere nearby. But search as they might, they finally realized that he had completely vanished!
Alerting the other campsites, within minutes a number of people were out looking for him. Some got in their vehicles and began to drive the adjacent woods roads, while others searched the trails around the campsite. It soon became apparent that he was nowhere to be found. If he'd headed east, he'd come to the highway, but if he'd headed west there was nothing but wild country with no roads or habitations of any kind. To the south was the lip of the Canyon itself.
One more thing added to the peril of the situation. The day before some hunters had gone out that morning to retrieve a deer they'd killed the previous night. To carry the deer back to their vehicle they'd hung the carcass from a pole which they then had slung between their shoulders. As they were carrying it out, their small dog trotted along just ahead of them. The trail they were following passed between two high rocky places embankments. As they were about to pass between them, suddenly, without warning, a mountain lion leaped from one of the boulders to the ground in front of them. Without pausing for a second the lion grabbed the dog, , made a second leap to the opposite side of the trail, and disappeared. Both men said they heard the dog's spine snap, and the whole thing was over so quick, neither had time to react!
With our son out there someplace alone, it was not a comforting thought.
Quickly talking to a number of the searchers, I learned the areas they felt had already been thoroughly gone over. The dominant worry was that if Flint was continuing to walk, he would cover too much ground, extending the search area and seriously cutting down the odds of us finding him before it was too late, In the meantime, an effort was being made to contact the ranger station. Immediately, I ran for my car,drove to the perimeter of the campsite and stopped. Bowing my head, I prayed for God to give me supernatural guidance with regard to which direction, road, or trail I should follow? For some unexplainable reason, I began to feel that I should begin by driving a certain woods trail. I started to turn around and head that way when I met one of the men who'd been out looking, He waved me over and said that he'd already covered that area; he said it would be better to pick a different section and he recommended a particular area. I thanked him, and said if nothing turned up soon, I'd try the route he suggested.
I then began driving slowly and looking on both sides of the narrow woods road. I saw nothing, but I continued to drive, all the time praying under my breath. And then, I became aware of an inner feeling that I should stop the car immediately, which I did. I then felt that I should blow the horn. I did that too. And when I paused for a moment, I thought that I'd heard some unnatural sound. It was hard to pinpoint the direction, except that I knew that it had come off to the right side of my vehicle. Leaping from my car I began zig-zagging into the trees, and then I heard it! It was a little boy's voice calling out, "Daddy, Daddy." Heading in that direction, I saw a little cowboy sitting on a log looking in my direction.
He was wearing his cowboy hat and jeans, western boots and a red bandanna tied around his neck. In his hand was a stick ... and tears were on his cheeks. I ran over to him and scooped him up in my arms. And as I hugged him he began to tell me, "I was scared Daddy, but I knew you'd come for me, cause you always told me you would. I did jus' what you told me Daddy. You told me if I ever got lost, to stop and sit down right where I was, and you'd find me. So when I knew for sure I was lost, I saw that log and I just sat down an' started waitin' for you to come."
He wasn't the only one with tears coming down the cheeks just then.
Now you may say that was all just coincidence. But I say it was more --- a whole lot more.
"He orders His angels to protect and guard you, and
they will hold you with their hands... " Lk. 4;19 NLT
Posted by cdrnorth at December 28, 2005 12:06 PM