Angel’s Work


One morning two angels met on their 

way out of the gate of heaven. One was the

Angel of Encouragement, the other, 

the Angel of the Rainbow. 

 “We are going to find lots to do today.” 

Said the Angel of the Rainbow, “The 

world is looking very gloomy.” 

 “Yes,” replied the Angel of 

Encouragement, “It is so much fun to carry 

heaven’s sunlight with us.” 

 “I’ll be listening for the bells of hope to 

ring.” Said the Angel of the Rainbow as 

they headed for earth. 

 The Angel of Encouragement went to a 

house where a girl was trying to light the 

fire. It was a gray and gloomy day and her 

thoughts were just as gray and gloomy as 

the weather. Most girls her age where still 

going to school or going to parties and 

hanging out with friends. She had always 

imagined going to college or living a life 

of ease or doing something grand but all 

her dreams came to nothing. “I’m just a 

household drudge.” She was thinking. 

 The Angel of Encouragement bent over 

her and whispered. “Why not try to 

encourage somebody today?” 

 Dorothy thought it was her own 

thoughts and had no idea that an angel had 

whispered in her ear. “Yes,” she thought. 

“That would be better than feeling sorry 

for myself.” 

 As soon as breakfast was over Dorothy 

went to mail a letter for mother. On the 

way she saw a little boy coming toward

her crying. It was his first day of school 

and he was scared. She put her arm around 

him and said. “Cheer up, it’ll soon be 

going home time.” 

 “It will?” Asked the boy as he stopped 

crying. 

 “Yes, it will.” Said Dorothy with a 

smile. “I felt like crying this morning too, 

but it’s much better to be brave.” 

 A sad and worried business man heard 

her words as he passed and started to 

smile. “Yes, it will soon be going home 

time.” He said to himself “And it is better 

to be brave.” 

 When Dorothy came home from the 

post office she was singing, 

“Hope On! Hope On! 

Though long the road and drear.

Hope on! Hope on! 

The sunlight hours are near.” 

 The next door neighbor was hanging 

her laundry on the line. She was tired and 

worried. There was so much work to do 

and dinner to prepare. She smiled as she 

heard the song and pretty soon she started 

singing too. “The sunlight hours are near.” 

Yes, she would be able to finish her work 

and fix a good dinner for her family. 

“Hope On!” 

 Dorothy went into the back yard and 

saw a little brown bird pecking vainly at a 

hard crust of bread. Quietly she went over 

and broke the crust into crumbs. The 

sunlight hour had come for the little bird. 

 The sunlight hour came for her brother 

George, too, at lunch time. He and 

Dorothy did not always get along. But 

today as she saw some of his school papers 

lying on the table, she said “You have such 

fine handwriting, George, Daddy couldn’t 

write better than that.” 

 “Don’t make fun of me.” 

 “I’m not making fun of you, I mean it.” 

 George had been discouraged with his 

school work. It seemed so dull and boring. 

But that praise from his sister suddenly

made it all worth it. 

 When he left for school again, he said 

“Dorothy, don’t chop that wood, I’ll do it 

when I get home. Chopping wood isn’t a 

girl’s work.” He closed the door so softly 

that mother didn’t even know he had left. 

 Mother was hard at work over her 

sewing machine. She spent all day sewing 

for people so that the family could buy 

food and pay the rent while father was ill. 

She was sad, for life was very hard for her 

and she was very worried about father. 

 As she was thinking these thoughts she 

heard the door open and looking around 

saw Dorothy coming in with a tray. On 

the tray were a cup and some bread 

and butter. 

 “Why Dorothy, what do you have 

there?” Exclaimed mother. 

 “Just a drink Mommy, and I want 

you to drink it too. You only ate a little bit 

at dinner and you looked so sad and tired.” 

Said Dorothy. 

 “But I’m not tired now.” Said mother 

with a smile. “Your thoughtfulness has

encouraged me so much I’m ready to 

tackle anything.” She put her arm around 

Dorothy. “Here I was sitting thinking I had 

all this work to do alone and that no one 

cared how hard I work. But God sent you 

here to tell me that I was wrong. You are 

such an encouragement Dorothy.” 

 Dorothy smiled. “I should be able to 

help you with the sewing this afternoon, 

when the dishes are done.” 

 Every time she tried to cheer someone 

else up it cheered her up too. The day was 

looking brighter and brighter all the time. 

 When she finished cleaning up the 

kitchen, Dorothy peeked into Daddy’s 

room to see if he was asleep. 

 “Hi, Daddy, you’re soon going to be 

better.” She said taking his hand. 

 Daddy smiled. “How do you know that 

little one?” 

 “Because the doctor always goes away 

frowning but today he went away smiling.” 

Said Dorothy, suddenly reaching for the 

Bible on the nightstand. “Would you like 

me to read something to you?” 

 “Oh yes, do.” 

 Dorothy read Psalm 27.

“What made you read that chapter?” 

Asked Daddy looking intently at Dorothy. 

 “It’s one of my favorites. Did you like 

it?” 

 “Oh yes, darling, because it’s a message 

from God. I have been praying for God to 

send me a sign that he hadn’t forsaken me 

and He sent you with this encouraging 

message. You have been doing angel’s 

work today.” 

 The sun was going down when the two 

angel’s met again. 

 “How has your work gone today?” 

asked the Angel of the Rainbow. 

 “Very well.” Replied the Angel of 

Encouragement. “Because a girl named 

Dorothy decided to help me. She spread so 

much hope around her today that I can still 

hear the bells ringing with it.” 

 “That is why my colors were so bright 

today.” Said the Angel of the Rainbow. 

“Did you see the bow I painted over the 

hills, and the one in the canyon? My colors 

are always so much brighter when the bells 

of hope are ringing.”




 Virginiajean Markwell