Yesterday’s mistaken visitation reminded me of what I can only explain as a real encounter with an angel that took place a number of years ago, but is still fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday. I remember it both because it was so unusual and because it carried with it a personal message to me that has continued relevance in my life.

It happened on a morning like any other morning. I was making a call to my booking agent, a call I was in the habit of making almost daily. It was because of the frequency of the call that I was startled to have a female voice answer the phone. It was a designated business line; I either got my agent or his voice mail. His wife never answered this line, so I immediately said, “Oh, I’m sorry; I must have dialed the wrong number.”

“Maybe not,” said the voice on the other end. I paused, dumbfounded. Then the voice came back with: “Are you a Christian?”

“Yes,” is said, tentatively. What was this?

“Then I have a message for you,” the voice went on.

“Uh … okay … what’s that?”

“Fret not. His grace is sufficient. Serve the Lord with gladness.”

There was a long pause. “That’s it?” I asked.

“That’s it,” said the voice.

“Well … thank you very much. I guess we’re done then.”

“Yes, we are. Good-by.”

“Good-by,” I said and hung up the phone, staring at it for some time as if it had turned red and become a hot line to heaven. The message is still as vital as it was the day it was delivered.

Fret not. Fear and worry are the biggest obstacles to our usefulness to God. They render us ineffective. They paralyze. They shut us down.

My grace is sufficient. This is what enables us to banish fear and worry. Whatever it is that we are lacking, God will show Himself to be enough. Whatever need, whatever weakness, whatever insecurity, whatever hole in our character … His grace can and will fill as we turn to Him in faith.

Serve the Lord with gladness. This is the point. This is why you get beyond your fear and worry, so you can serve God with a glad heart. Joy is essential. It bespeaks of freedom from fear and worry. It means that my trust in the Lord is a real thing and it has real consequences in my life.

I share this because I don’t think I’m the only one who needs to hear this message, nor do I need to only hear it once. And since I now have this hot line to heaven in my experience, I can dial it up any time.

So can you.