Feeling scared? God is there.
Oh, the fun of going on a family vacation, with scuba diving as the main event! I had never been scuba diving, but it sounded great—seeing lots of colorful fish and corals in the peace of the water’s depths. Pictures of and videos about scuba diving made it look easy. I trained in a pool for a couple of days, then went out for a real dive.
The dive master promised to stay with me the entire time, but soon he had to go help another diver. Suddenly I was alone—uncertain and just plain scared to be so deep in the water.
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Having grown up attending Christian Science Sunday School, I found it natural to turn to God for help. Over the years, I had memorized several Bible verses and hymns that meant a lot to me. I had also learned that angels are thoughts that come to us from God to help us feel God’s loving guidance and protection in any situation. So I wholeheartedly turned to God and listened for angels.
I was alone—uncertain and just plain scared to be so deep in the water.
First came the loving reassurance from Psalm 139 in the Bible that God is everywhere and will never leave me. It says, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? . . . If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me” (verses 7, 9, 10).
Well, I was certainly in the uttermost parts of the sea! This passage helped me remember that God was right there with me, embracing me in His love.
“OK, so You are here, God,” I said. “But I’m still scared!”
Next came a comforting message from Paul’s letter to the Romans that I could never be separated from God and His care and love—no matter what. That passage says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 37–39).
I was feeling calmer but hadn’t completely won the battle with fear. Then these words from the Christian Science Hymnal came to mind:
[God] knows the angels that you need,
And sends them to your side,
To comfort, guard and guide.
The fear was completely gone, and I was able to enjoy the rest of the dive and the beauty all around me.
I knew that was absolutely true because I was experiencing it with each prayer. Right then, a beautiful fish came up and started swimming around me. It felt like it was keeping me company. And it was an angel fish! I completely relaxed and enjoyed hanging out with my “angel,” who was indeed an expression of God’s comfort, guarding, and guidance. The fear was completely gone, and I was able to enjoy the rest of the dive and the beauty all around me.
This experience has stayed with me for a long time, reminding me of God’s ever-presence and unfailing help. His angels continue to comfort, guard, and guide me—and all of us!