Chicago, also known as the windy city, was home for me for many years. Located on Lake Michigan in Illinois, it is a large metropolis famous for its bold architecture, the skyline punctuated by skyscrapers. The city boasts world-renowned museums, beautiful beaches, famed restaurants, a groundbreaking music scene and stunning parks and green spaces. Although, as a child moving into Chicago, I remained mostly unaware of the many grand features of this large city. As I grew older, I remember loving Chicago, it was a wonderful place to live. Going to school when I was young, my siblings and I would walk to school, then come home for lunch and walk back for the afternoon. In my teenage years, I always felt safe as I took the bus each day to and from Belmont Avenue, where my high school was located.
My parents, Elias and Rose, immigrated to the United States in 1959. They had two small children at the time, me (2 years old) and my baby sister. Settling in Chicago, they initially rented a place and my father worked at Burny Bros. Bakery. Later, Elias worked at I.T.T. Harper Steel Company. When I was done schooling, I worked at the steel factory for a while as well. My mother, Rose, had various jobs through the years.
In the 1960’s, during my early childhood, Chicago’s population hovered around the 3.5 million mark. Due to a large amount of people leaving the city because of crime and rising costs of living, the population declined significantly in the latter half of the 20th century, from 3.6 million at its highest to 2.7 million at present. Even with the mass exodus, today Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and a bustling metropolis.
Both working and saving money, Elias and Rose eventually bought a house on Pulaski Street, a main street of Chicago, near the Irving Park area. I remember there was a big apartment complex near us and a store across the street named Van’s. When we moved from that home, Van’s had been bought by a restaurant called LaVilla, an Italian establishment, which is still a popular eating place today.
During the years, Elias and Rose had another daughter and a son, Mike. Being the youngest, Mike was doted on and very loved. Since he was so much younger than me and my sisters, we often watched over him, held and played with him. He received a lot of attention. Our home was a happy place and we functioned well as a unit. I would describe our home as sheltered and safe. I remember my grandparents being over often and my grandfather would watch us kids while our parents worked. Although, when my mother had Mike, she stayed home for a time to take care of all of us.
We were a close-knit family. Elias and Rose would take us places, picnicking at a park or going for random adventure drives. Our grandparents and extended family sometimes joined us at a beach, bringing homemade food to enjoy. Our dad would go swimming with us children as the others visited on the grass. There were many good memories in my childhood.
In 1974, when I was sixteen years old and Mike was around one years old, my mother took him for his childhood vaccinations. Shortly afterwards he developed a fever and my mother simply assumed he had contracted some kind of virus and was sick. As the days went on, he grew worse and lethargic. My mother gave him medicine to help lower his temperature but it failed to work. As she doted on him, she covered him with blankets as he rested.
I remember my grandmother being over and my dad had stepped out for a while. I don’t remember where he went. Rose, my mother, and grandmother were watching over little Mike as they chatted. Suddenly Mike began to convulse violently and Rose rushed over to him and screamed in terror. By all appearances, it seemed like my baby brother was having a seizure. We were all so worried.
At that moment my father, Elias, stepped into the house and rushed over to see what the commotion was. Seeing the perilous situation, he immediately picked up his son and hurried outside. Rose followed him and they began to run down the street. They had a vehicle in the garage but my dad, not thinking things through clearly, reacted in that terrifying moment by running in fear to save his son.
Suddenly a taxi appeared and pulled up next to them. Lowering his window, the driver asked, “Do you need a ride?”
Elias turned to the driver and said, “Yes. We need to go to the hospital. My son is having a seizure.”
Elias and Rose entered the vehicle with Mike and the driver took off, navigating expertly and efficiently to the nearest hospital. When the taxi pulled up to the emergency entrance, Elias and Rose jumped out of the vehicle with little Mike.
Before rushing into the hospital, Elias turned to the taxi driver and said, “Wait here. We’ll come back with the money. We need to get our son inside first.”
The taxi driver lifted a hand and gave a slight nod.
When Mike was in the doctor’s hands. Elias turned to Rose, took out his wallet, gave her some money and said, “Here, go pay the taxi driver. I’ll stay here with Mike.”
Rose left the room, navigated her way back to the entrance, walked outside and looked around for the taxi. Looking both ways and searching carefully for any sign of the car, she couldn’t see the vehicle or driver anywhere and eventually gave up.
When Mike was stable, they took him home and he soon fully recovered. Both Elias and Rose felt that the way things transpired was a miracle sent from heaven. The way the taxi just happened to appear at the exact time they needed one was unusual. And then the way the taxi vanished without the driver waiting to be paid also added to the mystery.
Perhaps that taxi driver was an angel in disguise. Or maybe he was simply a good-hearted individual who happened to drive by at the perfect time. Either way, I believe God set up that divine means of transportation so that my little brother could receive medical help quickly.
I’m grateful for this testimony of God’s saving power in my family. Sometimes God just supernaturally heals someone. Other times he uses a random person, whether angel or saint, to intervene and rescue. I am so thankful for God’s supernatural help that day.
Submitted by: Nadia F.
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Once we get to Heaven and God shows us a reel of our life, we will discover how many times we were rescued, protected or redirected by supernatural means. What a divine privilege it is that, during our time on earth, God gives us snapshots into the supernatural realm, unusual happenings that announce that Heaven is present and involved in our lives.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 91:11
If you would like to share a personal story of supernatural protection or angelic activity in your history, please reach out. Private message me on Facebook messenger and I will explain the details. I would love to share your testimony on my blog as an encouragement to others. As it says in Hebrews 3:13, Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’.
