Have you ever encountered an angel?

A few weeks ago, my daughter, Lilly, was returning to Silver Spring, Maryland after spending the July 4 (2008) weekend with her aunt in Connecticut. My cell phone rang at about 03:30 pm. “Daddy, my car is overheating. The needle is at the top of the red bar. What should I do?” “Where are you,” I inquired. She indicated that she was somewhere on the New Jersey turnpike heading south. She knew no one in New Jersey and was obviously concerned, as I was, about being stranded in a no-man’s-land. I instructed her to pull over immediately, open the hood, and make some casual observations to see if the cooling system had any fluid or whether there were any obvious leaks. I also advised her to call triple-A (AAA).

A few weeks before, I had called AAA to tow my car to the Pep Boys near my home after my vehicle had stalled on the Florida Turnpike in Orlando, Florida. I was about 19 miles from home and was certainly grateful for the service provided at such a late hour – after 10:00 pm. That same week I received a flyer from AAA with an offer to add a relative to my membership for a small fee. Knowing that my daughter, who still lives at home as she completes law school, was planning to drive to Maryland in a few weeks for a summer internship, I grasped the opportunity. I filled out the application, immediately mailed it in, and told her what I had done.

As we talked about her situation on the road, we realized that we had not received her membership card. I gave her my membership number and hoped that would suffice. She called AAA, gave her name and my number, and indicated her location. She was informed that the Turnpike was a private road serviced by the Turnpike Authority who contracted towing companies to service the Turnpike. Triple-A was not authorized to tow vehicles off the turnpike. The AAA representative further explained that if the Turnpike Authority moved her car from the highway to a specific location, then AAA would then tow her vehicle to an auto repair establishment of her choice. The AAA representative offered to call the turnpike service and meet her at a specified location. In a few minutes both tow trucks arrived and the first step was completed. But where would she take her car on a July 4 holiday evening? Most establishments are closed and she was a stranger there. The Turnpike towing driver suggested a reputable auto repair service just 1.3 miles away, well within the free mileage limit allowed by Triple-A. “However, it is not on the AAA-approved list of auto repair establishments,” he said. At my advice she agreed to take her car there and called a friend in Philadelphia who agreed to meet her in about 45 minutes.

The mechanic did a cursory examination and provided a report on the problem. He informed Lilly that when he opened the garage on the following day he would do a thorough analysis and provide a repair estimate and estimated time of pick up. With a prayer on our hearts, she went with her friend who by this time had arrived from Philadelphia. The AAA driver, it seemed, had left her in good hands. She returned to pick up the car at the end of the week. It was repaired and she was able to drive back to Maryland.

About a week later in Maryland, her car did not start and we suspected a faulty battery. “Call Triple-A,” I said. “They will give you a jump and you can then take your car to check on the battery.” The Triple-A representative indicated that she was not a member, that her name was not listed under her parents membership, and that they could not provide the service. Obviously, she called me and I was furious. On a three-way call I insisted that that explanation was unacceptable. “Just a week ago I called Triple-A, and a tow truck was sent to tow my car to a repair shop in New Jersey,” my daughter opined. I demanded to speak to a supervisor who calmly agreed to investigate the matter. “Sir, there is no record of your daughter’s membership. There is no record of a call in New Jersey and there is no record of any Triple-A representative towing your daughter’s car in New Jersey. The last call we have from you was in Orlando more than two months ago.” Our call accidentally disconnected and I decided to pursue the matter at another time.

Over the next few days, I thought a lot about the series of events.

1. Triple-A could find no record of my daughter’s call for help in New Jersey.
2. Triple-A claimed that they never sent a driver to that location.
3. Lilly recalls that the “Triple-A driver” never asked for her card, never completed any paperwork, and did not ask her to sign anything.
4. The “Triple-A driver” took her to the auto repair location and then disappeared into the night.
5. The repairs were apparently well done as she drove her 2001 Saturn safely back to Orlando at the end of her summer internship.

Is there room in your mind for the supernatural? Do believe in angels? I do! "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways..." Psalm 91:11.