Spiritual Help can sometimes be amazing.

Years ago, I took my camping gear to a local state park and met two women friends for an astronomy presentation on a moonless night with a gathering of perhaps 50 people.

When it was over and we were back at camp, ready to climb into our tents and sleep, I decided I wanted a hit of cannabis, so I took a walk down the road toward the bathrooms.

Along the way, I thought it odd that someone had parked their car right next to the road, rather than in a campground spot, and because of my diverted attention, I didn’t see the restrooms right across the road.

When I came to a locked gate, I turned around and walked back. This time, I noticed the restroom building on the other side of the road from the unoccupied car, which explained why I had missed the building. What I didn’t realize was that that car was suspiciously out of place, and perhaps I should be concerned.

I trudged across thick gravel to the women’s room’s heavy, metal door. Inside, I locked the door and was about to unzip when I heard the men’s room door open on the other side of the building.

I immediately connected the car to the man in the room, and felt uneasy that I hadn’t heard a single noise until then and hadn’t expected anyone to be so near.

Instead of hearing footsteps crunch toward the car, I heard gravel crunch very slowly and carefully, first around the front corner toward the back, then across the back to the corner behind the women’s room door.

My brain had been trying to come up with some reason a person would behave like that, because… no way could this scary-movie scene be happening to me now in real life….

As the man took a step toward the front of the building, I knew very clearly this was real..

Suddenly, I felt courage, unlocked the door, and thought: by leaving sooner than the man was expecting, I would have the element of surprise….

But I also felt something else, I didn’t know what, but I knew I would have protection or guidance or … something.

I opened the door quickly and calmly walked through the gravel at an angle toward my friends and camp. I didn’t look back, but knew he was close. 

Twice before, when my life was in danger, I’d experienced either an angel warrior come in or a part of me that I don’t know come out, and I’d been able to do something I’d never consciously done before.

Once it had been some impressive martial arts, and the other time I’d grabbed a knife and was preparing to kill someone in self-defense with absolute confidence in what I was doing (though it wouldn’t be necessary). I wondered if something like that would happen again.

Instead, suddenly a vehicle in a camp spot on a hill I didn’t know was right there in the dark turned on its headlights and put us in a bright spotlight.

I continued my power walk calmly, at a pace for a lovely evening stroll, until I was far down the road, when I began a tiptoe jog back to camp.

Thank you, Amazing Helpers.