Have you ever wondered if God has a limit to how many times He will let your guardian angel save you? Does there come a time when He says, “Okay, that’s enough, this time it’s time to let him go”?

I was walking with my dog on Tuesday when I had a little mishap. We were walking on an old railroad track, on a “fill” about thirty feet high. A fill is where they had to build the railroad bed higher than the surrounding area. I love railroads, and I saw on a map that there was a stone arch bridge on this trail. Since I was in the area, I thought I would have a look and take some photos.

When the dog and I arrived at the bridge, I thought I would go down some stairs to get to the bottom and take pictures. As I looked at the stairs, my Guardian Angel (no, he or she doesn’t have a name) asked me if I really thought it was a good idea. You know how those angels are. It wasn’t like it was telling me not to do it; it was more like a question: “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

We don’t give Guardian Angels enough credit or much thought. Many of the Doctors of the Church, as well as other Saints, have discussed this topic, and there is a general consensus that Guardian Angels do exist and everyone has their own, assigned to them at birth. (For a good explanation of this topic see St. Thomas Aquinas’s “Summa Theologiae Part 1 Question 113”)

I can certainly attest to the fact that they are real. This brings me back to my original question: Does God ever say something like, “Look, this guy keeps messing up by not listening to me, so stop helping him? My Guardian Angel suggested I shouldn’t go down those stairs, but I didn’t listen. What could possibly happen? There were stairs and a railing. Let’s just say they didn’t help. I went down headfirst, about 30 feet. I didn’t pass out and managed to drive myself to the hospital about an hour away. And eight stitches, one CAT scan, and “road rash” later, I’m asking myself, “Why didn’t I listen?”

This isn’t the first time I ignored my Guardian Angel. Right before I fell off that truck there was a little voice telling me I shouldn’t do what I did. Of course at that time I wasn’t a believer in those things. Remember it was falling off the truck that brought me back to God.

I made sure I thanked God and my Guardian Angel last night, and I will continue praying that he doesn’t give up on me. And next time – I’ll listen.

For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.  (Psalm 91:11–12, RSV2CE)