Their Little Angel Unaware

 

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

—Hebrews 13:2

Are you old enough to remember watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on Saturday morning television in the 1950s? How about their closing song: “Happy Trails to You”? ¹

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.

Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It’s the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here’s a happy one for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.

 

 

Did you know that Roy and Dale were deeply committed Evangelical Christians? Dale Evans wrote one of the most moving books I have ever read. It chronicled the all-too-short life of their special needs little girl: Angel Unaware. I first read this book as a small boy. It was particularly meaningful to me, since I was an adopted child. I remember feeling so very grateful for the two loving people who adopted me and raised me surrounded by much love and caring. Most importantly, these dear ones taught me about Jesus and His great love for me that prompted Him to die, so that my sins were forgiven.

Along the trail of life, the most happiness we can obtain occurs when we place our faith and trust in God, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He places His agape love in our hearts. He urges us to express that great love in a myriad of ways, each unique to us, but energized by His Holy Spirit.

Roy and Dale are now in heaven. Roy and Dale have been reunited with their lovely daughter, the subject of Dale’s book. I would like to think that, as the sun goes down after a marvelous day of fellowship at the feet of Jesus, just maybe Roy and Dale lead those gathered in singing “Happy Trails to You.”

 

______________________

1 Evans, Dale. “Happy Trails to You.” LosAngeles, CA: Sony/ATV Harmony o/b/o Paramount-Roy Rogers Music Co., 1952. Please note that, in each case, whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Not Mean, Not Angry, Just Frustrated!

 

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…”

—Philippians 2:1-5

Temper! Temper! Temper! Anger! Anger! Anger! Mean! Mean! Mean! Bitter! Bitter! Bitter!

More and more, as I press onward along the road of life and move from “old man” to “still older man,” I find myself being accused of being angry—too angry, unacceptably angry, annoyingly angry. I readily confess that, increasingly, I am confronted with the reality that so many things frustrate me. Because I am a very verbal person, I often express my frustration out loud. I am learning that this vocalization of my frustration is perceived by many people around me as “anger.”

By definition, “anger” is “a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.” As I examine my own sense of self when I am frustrated, I find that I do not truly feel annoyed, displeased, or hostile. Rather, when I experience frustration, I feel the emotions of disappointment, discouragement, and loss.

Trying to examine the overall appearance I assume when I am frustrated, I can understand why an observer might interpret my behavior as “anger.” But, I know in the depth of my being that I am not truly angry, just frustrated, disappointed, and discouraged, while all the time feeling a sense of loss.

Nevertheless, I am accused quite frequently of being filled with “anger.” And, this appearance of anger affects how people relate to me, or perhaps more explicitly, how rapidly they want to run away from me. Here’s an example:

One Sunday at the church I attend, not too many months ago, a woman whom I greatly admire told me that, because I am so angry, I am hard to engage in conversation. Her words actually stung. I felt quite hurt. In response to what she said, I smiled at her and she quickly tried to walk her comments back by saying she was “just kidding.” But, I know she really meant what she said. As she observed my frustration, she saw behavior that she interpreted as anger. And, she wanted no part of a mean, angry person.

In my task-oriented, dominant Concrete-Sequential™ approach to life, I can see where to some people I am difficult to approach. But, I am not nearly as mean as people think. I am actually very, very shy and very much an introvert, who simply has extremelyy poor social skills.

I will not bore you with what the psychological analysis disclosed when I sought professional help trying to lose weight during 18 months of counseling back in the mid-1980s. As I have shared on other blog posts, I finally stopped spending $150.00 each week when my psychiatrist fell asleep during my counseling session. Not only am I shy and introverted, I apparently am very boring, as well.

I do think that I need to make more of a conscious and deliberate effort to not let my frustration interfere with extending kindness of spirit and openness to those who may wish to interact with me. Rather, I need to willingly allow people to have access to the gracious spirit that God has been building deep within me over a lifetime. I am quite certain that’s what Jesus would expect me to do.

Perhaps, these words of a stand-up comedian that I once heard on television can—in a humorous way—sum up what I feel much of the time:

“When I was a young man, I realized I was an idiot. I presumed that as I aged, I would become less of an idiot. But, now that I am old, I realize that I am just an old idiot.”

Is there any hope for someone like me? Yes, of course there is. The Lord Jesus Christ loves me, died for me, rose from the grave for me, and sits beside His Father in heaven making intercession for me. Christ’s love for me can carry me from the emotions of disappointment, discouragement, and loss into a place of genuine well-being.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Loving Our Friends

 

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

—Proverbs 18:24

Genuine friendship represents a quality whose value we simply cannot measure. More valuable than silver or gold, the love, companionship, acceptance, and support of a friend can tip the balance of our lives toward genuine good favor—even when we feel assailed on every side by the cares and trials of this world.

Let us celebrate the joys of friendship this day. Even more so, let us celebrate the joy of having a friend like the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who “sticks closer than a brother.”

When God graciously brings loving friends into our lives, we must make certain that we thank Him for this evidence of His love and care. We need to recognize that, through the friends He gives us, God shows how determined He is to shower us with His love and blessings.

At the same time, we must not become ensnared by “so-called friends” who lead us down a dark path. Instead, we must turn away from those who would direct us toward evil. We must not allow false loyalties to jeopardize our faithfulness to God and to His written Word.

Let this be a day during which we rejoice in the friendships God has given us. We should take time to tell our friends how much we appreciate them. We can let them know that we do not take their friendship for granted. At the same time, we can become instruments of God’s agape love in the lives of our friends. We can show them compassion, kindness, support, and acceptance. We can build them up in their faith. We can be an example to them. We can shower them with mercy and grace.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Let Us Constantly Rejoice

 

“Rejoice always …”

—1 Thessalonians 5:16

We’ve reached the mid-point of another work week. How has your week gone so far? Mine has had its usual trials, but also some joys. As the week continues to unfold, we will have many choices in the days ahead. We must choose wisely and heed these words of the Apostle Paul, taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Even in our darkest hours, we can rejoice that God will never leave us or forsake us. He will always stand before us as our protective shield against the evil one. He will guard our hearts that we will not faint. He will give us every good and perfect gift.

Because of the awareness of God’s divine Presence and because His great love fills our hearts and minds, we can face every trial that may come our way. No difficulty is too great for us. No challenge is beyond our capability. We do not face life alone. God is with us. He cares for us in an amazing way. So, let’s begin this new day with a positive outlook that comes from knowing we belong to God and He will surely care for us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

He Draws Us to Himself

 

Seek the Lord while he may be found …

—from Isaiah 55:6

As we rise to begin another new day, we likely have many tasks we must undertake this day. Some of those taks will be fraught with difficulty. Others will have a sense of mindlessness about them. Still others may even have a bit of joy woven into the fabric of the task. No matter what we feel about these many tasks we must undertake this day, let us heed these words from Isaiah 55:6-7:

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their waysand the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

In the matter of seeking, we must always remember that, before the foundation of the earth, God chose those of us who belong to Him. He has made Himself available to us. He sent His Holy Spirit to point us toward Himself. And, God always stands ready to be found by us. He has drawn us into His mercy, grace, and love. And, in His great love for us, God provided His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the one and perfect sacrifice for our sins. God made provision for us to become reconciled with Him, through the blood of His Son, Jesus. God gave us His Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us along the pathway of life. Our Savior now sits at the Father’s right hand, making intercession for us.

If we respond to God’s calling and answer by seeking this One who loves us with His unfailing, undying love, He will open His arms and welcome us into His Presence. There we will find true freedom and a great outpouring of His joy, peace, and everlasting love. And, the tasks of the day will gain a proper perspective.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Let Peace Prevail

 

Peace I leave with you …

—from John 14:27

So many people seem to live their lives drenched in turmoil. Slogging through this angry fight and that one leaves people exhausted and filled with despair. In our current situation where, more and more, we seem to be at war with one another over political, cultural, and spiritual issues, it becomes very easy to invite frustration and discouragement into our lives. The confusion caused by the stress of our disagreements introduces chaos and misery into our daily walk. Is it any surprise that many people wonder:

“Is it possible to find peace?”

Here’s a very appropriate thought to begin a new day, taken from the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ, found in John 14:27:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The Prince of Peace offers true and lasting peace to all who belong to Him. So, dear friend, as one who belongs to the Great King Jesus, receive His peace this day. Christ always welcomes us to receive His divine peace. His peace awaits us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Precious Friendship

 

“Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.”

—Isaiah 32:3

Here’s an apt reminder:

If we truly love someone, tell them often that we do. If we appreciate the joy that someone brings into our lives, acknowledge that often. If we feel gratitude for who someone is to us, don’t keep that to ourselves because we think it’s not “cool” to say it out loud.

Our decidedly evil American culture has convinced us that we should cavalierly take for granted far too many relationships. Yet, the reality is that each friendship is precious. We must determine to live our lives in such a way that we will have no regrets because we failed to tell someone how much he or she means to us.

We must understand that, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are loved by Him and He continually intercedes in our behalf with God our Father. This is the kind of love that Christ has for us. That is the kind of love—God’s agape love—that we must have for others. Part of loving others is telling them how much they mean to us. And, we should frequently tell our blessed Savior how much He means to us, as well.

 

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}