My Angel
You have no wings nor halo,
But still, I know
You’re an angel.
You radiate, you shine
Today and forever, joyous light.
Thinly veiled from God above,
You taught me how to truly love.
I imagine years ago
You stood before the heav’nly throne
You saw your loved ones down below,
Your mother and sister, their smiles that glow
Their hugs and laughs
And body of flesh and bones.
You pleaded with God to let you go,
To earth to live, to learn and grow
And hug and laugh in the body you’d have.
I can imagine you above-
Faithful as ever and perfect, I’m sure
I know you were as I know you to be.
I can imagine the look in His eyes
As He took your hands in His to say
“My daughter divine,
You will in time.
You’ll glow and hug and laugh, but first
You must know
That life will not quite be the same
For you in the body you’ll have.
Far from perfect, far, far different
Be not dismayed, though, dearest child,
It is all by my design.”
Faithful as ever, you proved to be,
“My God, my Father, that’s okay.
I’ll do it, I’ll go, send me.”
“There will be tears,” He warns.
“Tears and pain and loneliness.
You understand now, but there, you won’t.
Your mother and sister will cry sometimes,
And feel afraid and lost and hurt.
Will you comfort them for me?
You might not speak or act like them
Be not dismayed, though, dearest child
The light in me will be in you.”
To which you replied,
“I’ll do it, I promise, I’ll go, send me
To comfort them, to shine your light,”
Now here, on earth, you are
Alive and beautiful and bright.
Faithful, still, and perfect-
You laugh and hug and glow.
Your body, just as promised,
Is far from perfect, far, far different.
Your heart, just as you promised,
Extends to all, comforts, and loves.
On my darkest days, you are a ray
Of sunshine, hope, and peace.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give,”
Your favorite verse you shared with me.
I think when you were sent to earth to live,
You heard from God,
“It’s time you leave, my peace I give”
And now you give that peace to me.
I have each note you wrote to me
All heart-shaped and sincere and pink.
Love is something you truly know,
I look at you and know you know.
The world just might not understand,
They might reject or overlook
The gifts you give, the light you shine.
But it is there, I know it is.
I know through you God’s love is shared.
Your mother heard “she’ll never learn, there is no hope,”
When you tried to learn piano,
But we had hope and so we tried.
I remember us last summer,
We sat on that piano bench
And together, learned our favorite hymn.
Hymn 89, The Lord is My Light.
You couldn’t read the music,
So I placed my fingers over yours
We played that top hand again, again
Until you had it memorized.
I can still feel the tears in my eyes
Of joy for you and of surprise.
You did it.
Your mom is always thanking me
For the rides I gave and friendship, too.
But honestly, I think
It is I that should be thanking you.
You see, I often think of this,
That as you dwelt with God above
I was there with you.
And as you begged to be sent down,
I cried out “wait, I need you!”
“Be not dismayed,” God intervened,
And planned to send me, too.
“And when you need your dear friend most,
She’ll be there to comfort you.
You, my child, might transgress.
You’ll face the world, you’ll see the bad.
You’ll face temptations, make mistakes.
You will live to learn and grow.”
Then, pointing to you, he adds,
“She will not be like that, though.
She’ll face the world, but see no bad;
She’ll only see the good and beauty,
Pure and innocent, she’ll be.
You need her because you need
To see the world the way she does
To remind you of my love.”
Away we went, you and I,
Then I’m sure we hugged goodbye,
Knowing that we’d reunite.
Now here, on earth, we are.
You’re the sweetest rose and brightest star.
I know that God is proud of you,
For your kindness to me and all you meet,
And your testimony.
Faithful as ever, you do no wrong
You see no bad, you feel no spite.
With my whole heart, I know that we
One day, again, will reunite.
You’ll be holy and whole eternally.
You’ll have a spouse, you’ll raise your kids.
You’ll speak and be heard
With impressive words
and increased capabilities.
You’ll think,
“I did it, I went, I was sent.
I glowed and hugged and laughed
Though incomplete, I got a body.
I was there for my mom, my sister, my friend.”
I’ll strive to be there, too, with you
To thank you for being here for me.
You have no wings, no halo to show,
But still I know
(And for this I am thankful forever)
You are my angel.