“The Theory of Angels”
Several years ago, I was a bored relative in Abilene, Texas, and decided to take the “large Oldsmobile” we had purchased from Thomas Eudy and drive into the town area to see things and get a “Whopper-burger” and fries and a drink…..by myself while the others stayed at the house and watched some “female” television shows. (They knew I was going; it was no secret.)
The farther from home I drove, the worse traffic became, and after about ten miles, I decided, “No way is this going to be worth it! I’m going back to the rest of the folks.” So, I moved over to the far left lane of a “several lanes wide” busy thoroughfare and put on my left blinker as I came to an intersection…..and there I sat with cars all around me wanting to go both directions. I waited and waited, but the oncoming traffic never slowed enough for me to make a left turn. Finally, the far two lanes appeared open, but I could not see around the two closest opposing lanes in front of me. I waited in impatience….. and waited…..and after “forever,” a driver in the second oncoming left lane signalled me to “go.” I hesitated, but he looked towards his back window and again signalled me to “go.” Against my better judgement, I WENT!
As I “gunned it” past the first two left lanes and moved into the next two and began to turn, I saw it!!! A very large vehicle was headed right at me and close and with no room to go around me or to stop. The speed limit was 45 m. p. h., and he appeared to be speeding. I stiffened my arms, held the brakes harder, and braced myself as I had seen on a defensive driving program.
I shut my eyes with a quick prayer on my lips: “Dear God, help me!”
I waited for the crash, which did not come, and slowly opened my eyes to see no vehicles coming at me, going away from me, or sitting on top of or against me. There were no cars anywhere near me on or off the immediate area. I promise you, there was no earthly way that collision/ wreck did not take place!
Shaking, and saying a “thank-you prayer,” I began my trip back to the house, where I later told my story to some of the folks there.
The late Paul Crume (born 1912 in Arkansas and died 1975 in Dallas) wrote a “front-page” column—“Big D”—from 1948-1975 for The Dallas Morning News. On Christmas Morning of 1967, he published an essay concerning the theory of Angels and their existence. Yet now, I see this column published again and again on Christmas Days, and it is widely acclaimed as one of the, if not the, best and most appealing of all his writings!
Mr. Crume opened his column that day with an answer to the question a man had asked him concerning what he thought about the “theory of angels.”
He began, “I immediately told him that I am highly in favor of angels. As a matter of fact, I am scared to death of them. Any adult human being with half sense, and some with more, knows that there are angels.”
Crume then used the next 400 or 500 words to relate feelings, general experiences, thoughts from other knowledgeable “thinkers,” and remembered happenings from during his own young and older days to back up his beliefs. Each time I read his essay, his final grade goes up a point or two in my grade brook, and another tear drops from my eye!
Paul Crume’s final lines of that essay have some of these words: “The angels keep their ancient places….. Turn but a stone, and start a wing.” “There is an angel close to you this day. Merry Christmas, and I wish you well.”
It is my wish that you find a copy of that 1967 Christmas Essay and read and ponder it periodically. And if you have not already “figured out” why I opened with my true almost demise, I think you will as you read Crume’s essay.
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