David’s Angel

by Ed Coet

David watched her walk down the hall, first from the front as she entered the school building and then from behind as she passed his wall locker. Her name was Janet. She took David’s breath way. Her hair was shiny and soft. It was dark brown and shoulder length. It bounced off her shoulders as she walked. Her sky blue eyes radiated against her tanned olive complexion.

Janet’s skin was as smooth as silk. Her teeth were perfect and pearly white. Her smile captivated all on-lookers. Her figure was total perfection. She walked with a gait that resembled professional fashion models. Janet wasn’t just beautiful; she was the essence of beauty. David fantasized about her warm embrace. He visualized sharing a warm kiss of passion from her soft shapely lips.

Fantasizing was all that David could do because Janet wouldn’t have anything to do with him. She wouldn’t even offer him the simple kindness of a friendly nod; not even the courtesy of sharing the time of day with him.

Unfortunately, Janet’s personality didn’t match her spectacular looks. She may have been the most beautiful girl in school, but she was also the most conceited and one of the cruelest students imaginable. She was very selective in whom she dated. If a fellow wasn’t a handsome jock athlete with finely toned hard body muscles, and who drove a spectacular car and had plenty of cash to spend, he could just forget about ever dating Janet. In fact, he could forget about her even acknowledging him unless he was the targeted recipient of one of her many put downs.

David didn’t understand this situation when he arrived at Cove High School. He rightfully considered himself to be a good, decent, honest, and hard working individual. As such, he felt somewhat comfortable in asking a pretty girl like Janet out on a date.

In the back of his mind David was aware of his noticeable blemishes — his pimpled face and his chubby physique. He was self-conscious about this. Still, he viewed his recent move to Texas, a new school, and making new friends as the new beginning he sought. David was much more upbeat and confident then he had ever been before. His intentions were honorable.

David just wanted the pleasure of enjoying Janet’s company. He was hopeful that he might gain the comfort of getting to know a popular girl in his new school. He figured it would be worth the risk of rejection to ask Janet out on a date. Perhaps, he thought, she could help him to be accepted by the other students who didn’t easily welcome newcomers in to their ranks.

David arrived at Cove High just in time for the school prom. His father was in the Army. They had just returned from a tour of duty in Germany. David was really excited and happy to be back in the good ol’ USA. This was his home and he had missed it.

David had been harassed and bullied by his peers in Germany. He was anxious to get away from that situation. Most tragic of all, David was still mourning the death of Becky, his twin sister. She had died two years before. A drunk driver ran in to her when she was walking home from school. Her death devastated David. Becky wasn’t only his sister; she was his best friend and confidant. They loved each other unconditionally.

David didn’t know a soul in his new central Texas home. He desperately wanted to make friends and to be accepted in his new school. It took considerable courage for David to ask Janet to be his prom date. However, after several days he was finally able to summon up the courage to ask her. David approached Janet at her wall locker just after lunch. It was a week before the prom.

After David asked her to the prom Janet smiled at David with a devilish grin. Then she said, “Hey girls, come over here. I want you all to witness this prom date offer.”

Janet was the captain of the cheer leading squad and all the cheerleaders came running over on her command. When all the cheerleaders had gathered around, Janet said, “O.K., Dude, ask me in front of witnesses.”

With a clear mind David ordinarily would have been able to figure out that something unpleasant was about to happen. However, his mind was anything but clear at this emotional moment. Not understanding, David smiled at Janet and said, “Janet, I find you to be more than attractive. I think you are absolutely beautiful. I would be honored if you would accept my invitation. Please be my date to the school prom.”

Led by Janet, all the cheerleaders and everyone else within hearing distance burst into uproarious laughter. Once they had quieted down Janet said, “Are you completely nuts? How dare you ask me out on a date you pimple-faced, fat, pudgy midget! When God was handing out good looks to the babies in pregnant women your mother must have been on a drunken binge. She probably did a belly flop into a mud hole. Get real you ugly jerk! Not only would I never go out with you, you’re going to have to answer to Ralph. Ralph is my boyfriend. He’s not going to be happy when he finds out you tried to hit on me.”

David was shattered, devastated, and heart broken. He had suffered embarrassment before but never with such public humiliation. It was hard enough being the new kid, not knowing a soul, and not having any friends; but for this to happen, for someone to be so totally mean just because he dared to ask her to the prom was — well, it was hurtful beyond expression.

David walked briskly away from Janet and the crowd of onlookers. He turned his head in his best effort to conceal the tears that were now welling up in his eyes. He didn’t want anyone to see him cry. He knew they would ridicule him if they caught a glimpse of his tears.

David got on his bike. He began pedaling as fast as he could. David’s father was a junior enlisted soldier and his family couldn’t afford much. They had a single inexpensive second-hand car. David hadn’t even learned how to drive yet. He figured, “why bother?” He knew it would be years before he could afford a car of his own. His bicycle was a Christmas present from his grandparents. He cherished it. David was trying to get home and out of sight as fast as he possibly could. He lived four miles from school. He rode his bike back and forth to school every day.

David rounded a curve pedaling at a fast rate of speed. He was on the down hill side of a steep street. Suddenly a flashy hemi-powered quad-cab Ram 1500 truck pulled up behind him. It began honking its horn.

David pulled to the right side of the road. He wanted to make sure the truck had plenty of room to pass. The truck did not pass. It stayed right behind David. The driver continued to honk his horn. The other occupants joined the driver in laughing and shouting obscenities at David.

Finally, as if out of nowhere and for no reason, the truck nudged David’s bike with its bumper. At these high speeds, that is all that it took to send David flying through the air. He landed head first, in the gravel at the roadside.

The truck stopped and Ralph, Janet’s boyfriend, emerged from the drivers’ seat. He and the other hooligan occupants walked over to David. David, nearly unconscious, was lying in severe pain in the gravel and dirt.

Ralph was an all-state linebacker on the high school football team. He stood towering over David. He grinned as he looked down at David. David was a pitiful site. He was bruised and scratched everywhere on his body. His right arm and leg and several ribs were broken. His skull was fractured and he had internal bleeding. Half dazed, it was all David could do just to look up at Ralph. He had a helpless look of bewilderment that was evident even in his swollen and disfigured face.

The six-foot five-inch and 275-pound linebacker Ralph was carrying a tire iron. Ralph said, “I’ll teach you to hit on my woman — you freaking little wimp.”

Before David had the opportunity to say that he had no way of knowing that Janet even had a boyfriend, Ralph began to club David with the tire iron. He did this in a mad frenzy. Ralph’s football buddies who, like Ralph, were supposed to be positive role models, instead joined in on the beating. They kicked David in every part of his body.

When it was clear that David was fully unconscious and appeared lifeless, Ralph and his buddies got back in the truck and drove away. David was left bleeding profusely. He was totally unrecognizable. His face was completely disfigured. David just lay there, nearly dead, until a passerby noticed him. The passerby called the 911 emergency line on his cell phone. Within minutes an ambulance and the police arrived.

David’s mother was the first to arrive at the hospital emergency room. His father was out of state on a field training exercise. He couldn’t be reached. Medical personnel were working frantically to stabilize David. His condition had been labeled critical.

David slowly turned his head to look at his mother. His eyes were sad and tear filled. In a weak and whispered voice David asked, “Why Mom? Why am I so ugly?” He was gasping between words.

David’s mother tried to compose herself and appear brave for her son. Inside, she was trembling with fear. It was obvious to her that David’s condition was extremely serious. It was a struggle for her to hold back her tears.

“Why am I short and fat? Why can’t I make friends Mom? Why doesn’t anyone like me?”

David’s mother clenched his hand. She tried to think of a comforting response but her mind was confused. She was overcome by sorrow and grief. No mother should ever have to see her child in this condition. It was almost unbearable.

With an even weaker whisper, David asked, “Why did God take Becky away? She is the only one who ever talked to me. She cared about me. I miss her Mom. I need her. I want to be with Becky. I’m sorry Mom; I don’t care anymore. I’ve had enough heartache.”

David’s mother, half demanding and half begging, cried out, “You hold on David! Don’t you dare die on me.”

In little more then a weak whisper David said, “Mom, maybe I will finally find peace and happiness in death.”

No longer able to control her emotions and wholly succumbing to tears, David’s mother fully embraced her son in a nurturing embrace.

“David, in God’s eyes and in mine, you are a beautiful person. He knows how good a person you have grown to be. He knows that you did nothing wrong. You did not deserve to have this happen to you. God loves you David. So do Dad and me. Please David, be strong. Hold on my son.”

Wiping tears from her eyes, she stoked David’s hair and gently kissed his forehead.

“Now please son, talk no more. You’re very weak. You need to save your strength. Please rest while the doctors attend to you.”

“But Mom, maawuum.” David gasped. Suddenly his eyes went blurry. Then they rolled back in his head. His whole body went limp.

David’s mother cried out, “Dear God — please help my son!! Doctors, hurry! You’ve just got to save him!”

The nurses quickly ushered David’s mother out of the emergency room. The doctors hurriedly went in to all manner of life saving procedures. Then, a buzzing sound came from the machine that David was attached to. The same sound that indicates heart failure.

As a nurse pulled a sheet over David’s head, a doctor went out to his mother. With heartfelt compassion he told her, “Ma’am, I’m so very sorry. We did all we could do.”

David’s mother collapsed into the doctor’s arms. The shock; the despair and grief were too agonizing for her to endure.

David was the nicest and kindest son that any parent could hope to have. He was a good student. He did his chores without complaining. He volunteered at church and for other community projects. David would give anyone the shirt off his back if he thought they needed it. He would even do it if they just wanted it and he believed that giving it to them would make them happy.

Although nobody wanted to be his friend, David never stopped trying to be friendly to everyone that he met. David loved everyone. He was just a loving kind of guy. He even loved those who ridiculed and harmed him. He would occasionally get angry, like everyone else, but he didn’t know how to hold a grudge. He couldn’t be vindictive or vengeful. He didn’t want to learn how to either. One had to wonder how this could happen to a wonderful person like David.
 

                                                                             * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, back in the emergency room, David was levitating. He was floating in mid-air above his bed. He was curiously looking at himself lying there with a sheet over his head. David was able to see and hear everything that was going on. Nobody could see him.

At first he couldn’t understand why his body wasn’t moving or why his pain had left him. Then, as if out of nowhere, a bright light appeared. Out of that light a warm hand reached out to David. Then a full radiant angelic figure appeared.

“Who are you?” David asked.

“I am Elijah. I am your guardian angel, David. I have always been with you.”

Then another light appeared. Out of it came a beaming teenage girl. David cried out, ‘Becky, Becky, is that you? Can it really be...?” Then he paused to think. “Oh my God Becky, if I can see you than I must also be dead.”

“My dear brother,” Becky answered, “Listen carefully to Elijah. I want you to know that I’m all right. I’m even better than all right. I am happy and at peace here. I’ve been with grandma, grandpa, and Uncle Joe. They are happy and at peace as well. They send their love. You may come and join us when it is your time, but not a moment sooner. God must choose the time, not you.”

“Becky, I have so many questions.”

“In due time all your questions will be answered, David, but not now.”

“When Becky? When is the right time?

“That is God’s decision, David. Elijah will explain all you need to know for now. Tell Mom and Dad what you saw and what I told you. Tell them I love them. Remember David, I love you, too. I always have and I always will.” Then Becky vanished.

“Don’t worry David,” Elijah said. “When your time comes, you will be with Becky in heaven as she is now with you in spirit.”

“Then why am I here now?”

“Because God has been speaking to you, David. You haven’t been listening. You haven’t paid attention.”

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, Elijah, but I don’t understand what you mean.”

“David, as you have already experienced, God has taken some rather drastic measures to get your attention.”

“Yes, I guess I’d have to agree that this is rather drastic. But why...?”

“Settle down David. What you need to know you will know, but nothing more.”

“Is all the suffering that I have had to endure going to be explained? What about the beating I just suffered? Why did that happen? Was that part of God’s drastic measures for me?”

“Not exactly. God doesn’t do evil things, but there is evil in the world in which you live. Sometimes bad things do happen to good people. Don’t forget that one of those good people was Jesus. He suffered greatly and He was completely without sin. He did not deserve to suffer. Still, His father in heaven ordained that He would suffer and then die. Jesus willingly made this sacrifice for you and everyone else. Likewise, the Apostles suffered greatly.”

Now more confused than ever, David wondered why God allowed bad people to hurt good people when He could stop them. After all, David thought to himself. “God can do anything so why not protect the innocent from being harmed by those who are evil?”

Elijah read David’s mind. Before David could ask another question Elijah offered an explanation.

“David, God gave each of us free will. He could have ordained that everyone do exactly what He wanted because, after all, He is God. However, that was not what God wanted. So, David, God gave us free will. It was the only way that we ourselves could voluntarily give God what He wanted.”

“Wow! I never thought about it that way, Elijah.”

“David, free will also means that bad people can choose to do bad things to good people. If God intervened He would be taking away the free will of those people. The whole purpose of free will is so that everyone can choose to be good or bad.”

“But Elijah, wouldn’t good come out of His intervening?”

“No David. Free will is a divine decision. If God intervened then He would be a liar. Because God is perfect, He cannot lie. He will intervene in response to prayers. He will not intervene to take away anyone’s free will, because He will not break His decision and promise to give each and everyone one of us our own free will.

“What about you, Elijah? You said you were my guardian angel. Shouldn’t you have been guarding — you know, protecting me?”

“I was protecting, David. I always have been but in a spiritual way. I am bound to do the Lord’s will for you David, not your will. My job is not to protect you from the rigors of living in your earthly world. If that were the case nobody would ever suffer any hardship because everyone is given a guardian angel. I am charged with helping to guide you away from sinfulness.

“Then why am I a sinner? What happened to your guidance?’

“I try to persuade and influence you. I do not dictate. If I did it would interfere with your God-given free will. I am your conscience. Listen to your conscience and you will hear me.”

“Is that what you meant when you said I haven’t been paying attention to God?”

“Exactly David. You see, to get help you have to ask for it. In our spiritual world that means you must pray. There is no such thing as too much prayer. When you pray you’re talking to God. He wants to hear from you all the time. He also likes to answer prayers. God can’t run out of love and neither can you. Love is not a diminishing resource. You can’t run out of love no matter how much love you give people. That’s why love is so good and powerful. It’s by God’s design.

“So, never be afraid to express and give love to God and others. That includes you David. You’re supposed to love yourself. After all, God loves you so how dare you not love that which God loves? Follow His perfect example.”

“But Elijah, I honestly tried to be good.”

“David, you may be listening but you’re still not hearing. Don’t you remember when you talked about being ugly? How you complained about your pimpled face, your fat pudgy body and what you perceived to be your overall bad looks? You were concerned about your physical appearance yet love has nothing to do with good looks.

“Real love isn’t something you see David; it’s something that you feel. You passed judgment on yourself David. You did this based on the hurtful and sometimes evil opinions of others. You had no right to judge anyone and that includes yourself. Only God can judge man! How could you think that God failed to love you just as you are? After all, you are His creation. God doesn’t make junk!”

“Elijah, I feel just terrible. I never understood this before.”

“David, do you honestly believe that God was not pleased with His creation in you? He made you exactly the way HE wanted for His own reasons. Those reasons have absolutely nothing to do with what others think. His creation is perfect even if it appears flawed to the eyes of those who are imperfect in thought. Their thoughts are warped David. Their sinful thoughts result from the bad choices they made, not because of what they perceive to be bad looks.

“Everyone in heaven is heavenly. They are all beautiful. That’s because blemishes are a human condition, not a spiritual one. If you got in touch with your spiritual self you would understand that there is no such thing as an ugly person.”

“I’m so sorry, Elijah? Will God forgive me for failing Him and myself?”

Elijah smiled. “Of course he forgives you David. You need only feel genuine remorse and ask for God’s forgiveness. You mostly please God. He wants you to stay the course and do that which is your destiny. Remember, David, God knows best. Also remember that I am with you always.”

With those final words, Elijah faded away.

Suddenly a nurse screamed out in the emergency room, “Doctor! Doctor! Come quickly!”

The doctor rushed in just in time to see David move. Only moments before he had personally pronounced David dead. First his fingers moved. Then his hands and arms moved. Then he moved from side-to-side. He was moaning but David was very much alive.

“How can this be?” the doctor said. “I don’t understand. I’m certain. I double checked! David’s heart had clearly stopped beating. He stopped breathing. It was unmistakable. David was dead. Yet, now he lives. How can this be?”

Just then David’s mother came running into the room. Embracing her son she cried out, “Thank you Lord! Thank you for answering my prayers.”

An observant nurse said to the doctor, “What you have just witnessed is a genuine miracle doctor. A God given miracle.”

                                                                           * * * * * * * * * *

Ralph and his buddies were tried as adults under Texas law. They were convicted of attempted murder. Each of them was sentenced to 15 years in State prison. Janet was convicted for conspiracy to commit murder. She was sentenced to 10 years in the State women’s prison. These sentences were reduced to supervised probation at the personal request of David.

Acting in the compassionate likeness of Jesus who said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do,” David asked the judge to be compassionate with his attackers. David forgave them unconditionally. This extreme act of kindness changed all their lives forever more. They all were genuinely grateful and went on to become good, kind, caring and compassionate citizens. They, like David, became a blessing to others.

David graduated from high school with honors. Fully understanding his calling, his mission, he went on to college. He studied for and eventually became a youth minister. David specialized in helping children with low self-esteem.

David fell in love with and went on to marry a beautiful woman. She loved David for the content of his character. David was happy. More importantly he discovered that he had a gift for making other people happy.

Every night when David went to bed, before he fell asleep, he would say his ritual prayers. He thanked God for the wonderful life he had. David always concluded his prayer by saying, “Elijah, I know you’re there. Thank you Elijah. Good night.”
 

                                         Copyright © 2007 by Ed Coet