“THUNDER BOLT CLOUD OF DARKNESS TO ANGELS’ LIGHTNING JOLT OF LOVE”

The topic of my article is “Dramatic” and I like to start by giving a definition from an online dictionary which relates most closely to my subject matter, this one being from Dictionary.com:

adjective

1. of or relating to the drama.

2. highly effective; striking.

It was the summer of 1971.  I had just graduated from senior high school with a B+ average intending to go to university, but when the time approached for me to begin seriously researching universities I wanted to attend there were no financial resources for me to do this.  I had won a $100 bursary at my graduation ceremonies, but that was not nearly enough to have as my education fund.  In July, I began working as a waitress in my girlfriend’s family Chinese restaurant in my home community.  I was happy doing this and loved the tips but I knew this was not my destiny.

One day, in late August, another girlfriend phoned and asked if I wanted to go to Hell’s Gate near Boston Bar, BC and work as a tram operator through September and October, as the university students who had been employed all summer were leaving to return home and the company needed tram operators to finish out the season, which was due to close at the end of October.  I said “Sure” without asking any questions other than “where will I live?” and “how will I get to work?” and she said “you’ll stay with me in a motel and we’ll commute together in my car.”  I was very excited to start my new job but had not really entertained any thought about what this would really entail.

What I had not been told was that in order to become a tram operator I would have to take a series of physical tests so that the manager could authorize me to be a responsible and reliable tram operator.  I cannot remember all the testing that I went through on my “training” day, but the one that made the most dramatic impression on me and forever imprinted in my mind was the “Emergency Brake Pull Test” which was that once I was inside the cab of the tram I had to climb the pole ladder in the center of the cab and climb to the top of the ladder which was up to the ceiling of the cab, open the hatch door and get on the rooftop of the cab and pull the emergency brake, which I would need to do in case I ever had any kind of emergency and had to urgently stop the tram, wherever I was en route.  I was TERRIFIED to do this as I was and still am, in many cases, fearful of heights.  I try to overcome this fear by making myself do certain things to silence paralytic thoughts that would ultimately wrap themselves around my mind and send me into a temporary paralysis, but I will be honest and say there are certain heights I have not yet conquered.

My whole body shook as I was in my stocking feet climbing the pole, one hand and one foot at a time, up and up the ladder.  My girlfriend was cheering me on and the manager was encouraging me every step of the way that I could do this.  Each time I got higher up the rung of the ladder and would look down at the two of them, it seemed to me as if they were 100’ down, which, of course, they were not!  I shook more violently and my feet became immobilized.  Recently, reflecting on this “dramatic” experience, I realize that sometimes the closer I get to ascending beyond a level of fear, I create a “Thunder Bolt Cloud” which temporarily darkens my reality, deafens any positive thoughts I have of being able to achieve my mission, goal or purpose and destroys potential opportunities for me to manifest opening doors in a natural, smooth and easy manner.  The darkest clouds of “I Cannot Do This, I Am Not Smart Enough, I am not Rich Enough, I am Not Thin Enough, I am Not Good Enough, I am Not Well-Known Enough, I am Not Loved Enough, I am Not Supported Enough, I Don’t Have Enough Energy, etc.” completely consume my thought process and it is only when I allow my mind to access the “Angel’s Lightning Jolt of Love” to overpower and bring enlightenment to me that my world becomes lighter and brighter, and my hope is renewed.  I then project thoughts of “I Can Do It, I Am Able to Achieve This, I Do Have Faith, I Do Trust, I Do Know Intuitively, I Will Allow Myself to Be Guided by the Angels, etc.”

The experience I had to tie this “fearful” tram operator segment of my life journey into this Lightning Jolt of Love from the Angels is when one day near the end of October on one of my last trips across the Fraser River I had taken a group of tourists down to the other side of the river during a pelting rain and wind storm.  I had given my awesome 3-minute speech on the salmon running the fish ladders to get up to their spawning ground and how before these fish ladders were built, thousands of salmon died trying to run up river to spawn, decreasing the salmon population by unfathomable amounts.  I was a tour guide, tram operator and “salmon spawning specialist” all in one and made many crossings in a day in my tram across the river, making my speech on each trip!  The thunder bolts and lightning jolts started during my return to the bottom to pick up the remaining tourists.  My tram was swinging back and forth underneath the guide wires.  The winds were extremely high for me and my tram to be making a crossing.  I was alone in the cab, nervous and scared.  I remembered my first day of “training” and how it was drilled into me that in case of an emergency I would have to climb to the top of the tram cab, open the hatch door, stand outside on top of the cab and pull the emergency brake.  I kept thinking what options I had other than this one if there was an emergency either going down alone and/or coming back up with my passengers.  I prayed like never before to God for my safety and the safety of all my passengers.  I did receive some semblance of calm and knew I would be able to handle any situation I was given.  I allowed my mind to become silent from all the dangerous and dark “Thunder Bolt Cloud” chatter.  I made the trip down alone, picked up my reluctant passengers, and hanging on for dear life to one another and encouraging each other to trust that we would be fine, we all made it back safely.

This was a defining moment in my life journey about how in my darkest “Thunder Bolt Cloud” I was able through prayer to find “calm in the midst of the storm.”  It was not until I decided to write about this experience for this “dramatic” piece of literature, that the Angels reminded me that although I was not consciously aware of their presence in my life during this experience, I knew subconsciously they were with me, providing me with their Lightning Jolt of Love by surrounding me with their protection, comfort and safety.  I thank them once again from the bottom of my heart for intervening in my life journey during a very challenging, serious and stressful situation.

I want to ask you to remember that at all times your Angels are with you to guide, guard and protect you.  They are as close as your nearest breath.  You must ask them to step in, as they will not intervene unless asked.  I do believe they intervened in my life at that time as it was not my time to leave this planet.  The Angels will provide us with a “Lightning Jolt of Love” whenever we open ourselves up to receiving it, but we need to ask them for help.  Please Open Your Mind and Allow the Angels’ Lightning Jolt of Love In!

From my Heart to Yours.

Angel Blessings,
Brenda Rachel

P.S.  The history of the Hell’s Gate Tram is set out on their main web page https://www.hellsgateairtram.com/about/history/