There are days when I am so supported and protected by the Universe that I wonder if people believe the stories I tell them. You see, I am one of those people that believe everyday miracles do happen, to every person, in any moment. We are divinely guided and protected beyond our wildest imagination, and if you are willing to open your heart and your eyes, you can see the magic all around you. This was one of those magical miracle moments. Actually, this is a series of magical miracles!

I am a homebody. As a general rule, my preference is to not leave the house. This isn’t a new thing or a Covid thing. This is an Anna Marie thing. My favorite place to be is home with my cats and my horses, and all my things. I feel safest and most comfortable in my little bubble on the ranch where life is quiet and goes at my pace and my soul feels nourished.

Of course, I would love to live in my cozy little bubble 24/7/365, but it is just not possible. I must venture out into the world from time to time for things like groceries and food for the animals. Oh right…and of course to see other humans! LOL  It takes a lot for me to psych myself up for a day out and about, for various reasons. People and energy and noise are everywhere! It can be overwhelming for an empath who feels everything in the core of their body and can sometimes feel like all my senses are being assaulted.

Over time, I have learned that in order to avoid panic attacks I must always do my due diligence and ground myself, call in my angels of protection, and ask my guides to help me raise my vibration to balance whatever I may come in contact with.

On this particular day, I had to drive into the city, which means I would be gone for several hours. The last thing is always making sure the horses are secure and have enough food and water before I leave. I contemplated whether or not to let them stay out in the bigger field all day, since I was going to be gone for such a lengthy period of time. Ultimately, I decided they had been fine so far this winter and would be ok today as well. Plus, they were already out there, looking so happy, eating from patches of grass peaking though the snow. Completing the horse check and self-check, I was on my way.

I successfully ran all my errands, returning home late in the afternoon. Coming up the street toward the house, I looked out into the back field (as I always do) and noticed that all the horses seemed pretty far apart from one another. This was unusual for them; as a herd, they will typically stick pretty close together when they are out grazing. I momentarily dismissed it and pulled into the driveway, parked the car, then headed for the barn to check on everyone.

Arms full of hay, I headed out to the paddock to find Hercules near me, just on the other side of the fence, all by himself, with an annoyed look on his face and snuffling at me. “Hey buddy, what are you doing over here all by yourself?” And then I saw why he was looking at me with such a face. The gate to the field where Al and Nikki were had somehow shut. Hercules was trapped in all by his lonesome. I dropped the hay and began walking out to the far end of the field to open the gate, where Al was joyously waiting to greet me. That’s when I saw the real problem!

Nikki was not in the field with Al! One of the old wooden fence posts was 40 feet from where it belonged and clearly no longer in the ground doing what fence posts are supposed to be doing. Fencing wire was strewn everywhere. I glanced around to find Nikki in the neighbor’s yard, eating their grass. My mind was racing and my stomach was doing somersaults! Assessing the situation, I quickly corralled Al into the pasture with Hercules and shut the gate behind them. Simultaneously, I was trying to figure out how Nikki managed to conquer a rather large snow drift to get where she was on the other side of it—and also how I would get her back!

Nikki had no halter on and I had no lead rope with me. I was going to have to use my energy to move her where I wanted her to go since I didn’t have anything else to guide her with. (This is how horses move one another within the herd: they come behind and use their energy to “push” a herd member in the direction they want them to go) Of course, she wasn’t going to make it easy on me because my energy was all over the place. She started making her way toward the street instead of the field and I could feel myself start to panic more. Time to pause and check where my energy is at. If I was going to get her to go where I needed her to go, I was going to have to be fully in my body and clear in what I was asking her.

After a few deep breaths and some conscious directing of my energy behind her to move her in the right direction, Nikki made her way down and around the snow drift and back home. With a little sassy bucking and kicking to make her point that she didn’t need me to tell her what to do (because, according to her, she had taken perfectly good care of herself all day and chose to stay with the boys), she made her way inside the gate as well. I giggled at my spicy girl, relieved everyone was now inside a secure area.

Once that gate was shut behind us, I did a body check on everyone to make sure no one had any injuries. All good there, thankfully. Phew! Then I literally shouted out a great big thank you to my husband and all the other angels and guides who are always watching over and taking care of us. “I don’t know what the heck happened here today or how in the world I still have 3 horses here that are uninjured, and that none of them took advantage of their freedom, but I am so grateful that we are always taken care of and protected.”

And then I heard my husband say, “Who do you think closed the gate?” Haha! OMG, I about died!

It made total sense. Horses are herd animals. Sticking together is a survival instinct. Because Hercules got trapped inside the gate that shut, the other two only traveled where they could still see him. The gate closing was a miracle that kept all my babies safe and together and still here when I returned home.  I have absolutely no doubt Jim found a way to shut that gate and close Hercules in for me.

Many of the miracles I receive on a regular basis are the signs and messages I get from my husband, Jim, who passed away a few years ago. Those messages lift me and give me hope and remind me I am never alone. I wouldn’t have these amazing horses in my life if it wasn’t for him, the signs he sends me, and his divine guidance. He came in so loud and clear with the message of “Who do you think closed the gate?” that I busted out laughing. Even from the other side, he can make me laugh and make sure I always feel loved and safe.

I truly am blessed to have him as one of my guardian angels, along with a whole team of angels and guides that support us, protect us and keep us in thriving in abundance.

This feeling of being safe, supported and protected wasn’t always present for me. The daily work I do with the horses and with Soul Level Intuitive Coaching® has helped me release the hold my limiting negative beliefs had on me and opened me to see more of the possibilities the Universe has to offer, if I’m willing to accept them. I couldn’t have made this story up if I tried and am astonished at the miracles that take place all around me on a regular basis. The Universe is always looking for ways to show us how loved and protected we are. With my heart and eyes open to whatever may be possible, I am taking a long pause of gratitude for this miracle and for all the miracles that will follow.