I believe in angels, both the seen and unseen. The immortal ones, and the average, everyday, human kind of angel.
I was at a church event this week (New Beginnings) with my daughter, Caitlin. It was kind of a recognition ceremony that doubled to encourage the girls to live by the values they profess.
When talking of doing “good works” one of the presenters there shared the story of the High School valedictorian who gave a speech where he told the story of how he had cleaned out his locker and was planning on committing suicide that weekend… only someone noticed him as he was on his way home and they spent the weekend (and high school years) together. (Here’s a link to the story of Kyle).
Well it got me to remembering the Angel that saved my life, Ryan Neilsen, while I was at Fort Huachuca. I had a hard time at Fort Huachuca do to the unfortunate presence of just a couple of soldiers there who found particular delight in my misery, but it was the presence there of Nielsen that helped me survive the place.
I had filed several informal charges* against one particular guy who was the main problem. Despite this though the cadre provided no relief and he didn’t restrain himself at all, in fact he was encouraged by the lack of action by the NCO’s. So things got worse for me. Thankfully there was a friend in the unit who was a strength at a time I was weak.
After one particularly bad week of harassment and abuse I had decided to just give up. I was done. I couldn’t handle the stress of the current situation and had started to believe it would never get better. I had broken down and was sobbing and slightly hysterical. I stumbled over to the Chaplain’s office to try to reach out for help from him, but it was locked and he was gone.
I probably spent 10 minutes just sitting outside the locked doors sobbing and thinking of ways to make the pain/suffering stop. After a while I was able to stop shaking enough to pull my phone from my pocket and called Nielsen**. I don’t know that he could understand a thing I said and I tried to talk to him. He knew I was in bad shape though and asked where I was. Thankfully he was nearby, close enough that in just a few moments I saw him sprinting his way toward me.
It was a sight I’m sure I’ll never forget, seeing him running toward me to save me from the darkness I was enveloped in. He talked to me, calmed me, and helped me find additional care. He was an angel of comfort doing the Lord’s work. Because of that day, and others like it, Ryan quite literally saved my life. My family was the reason I chose to kept living, but Nielsen was the one who help me make that choice.
That man has my undying gratitude and will forever, eternally, have my respect and love. I don’t know if he even remember this incident, but I hope that he knows that if he ever needs me, I will likewise come running to his aid.
In a world full of ugliness, terrorists, hatred, and pain, it is easy to believe that those things are the only things to find in the world. But you can find some way to be an angel. Find some way to encourage those around you. Try to SEE those around you who are hurting, are afraid, are alone, or are ready to give up. It might only take a moment of kindness to save a life. It only took a moment to save Kyle’s, and it only took a moment to save mine.
* I did end up filing formal charges.
** I could have called Julie, but she seemed too far away. Plus I wanted to shield her from the pain I was feeling.
You’re a good man, Jax. Huachuca was rough on everyone and you were a strength to me as well.