Covered From Above - A Shield From Injury or Death

By Anthony M. Davis

The true story of a life that started poorly. Before his first two-years of life, there were three attempts to kill him. Growing up in an uncertain and violent environment, living in a state of fear became easy. As a young boy, he had a close encounter with a rattlesnake. Later in life, a gunman at the front door, a helicopter accident in the jungle, 20-minutes in a car with a serial killer, being rear-ended by an 18-wheeler, and more. There were 15 times when things could have ended poorly. Every time, God always provided a covering, and continues to do so today. This is a book that will help every reader view the challenges in their life in new, healthy ways. Rather than live in fear, you can live with confidence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Center for Personal Leadership & Dev.
• Release date: Aug 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201410414

Anthony M. Davis

Anthony M. Davis is a sought-after Leadership, Success and Stress Coach, Speaker and Board Certified Hypnotherapist. He owns and operates the Center for Personal Leadership and Development in Charlottesville, Virginia. As a proud veteran, Mr. Davis served in two military services. Beginning with the United States Navy, he served as a Helicopter Rescue Aircrew member. Later, he rejoined the military and retired from the United States Coast Guard. Shortly after 9/11, he was selected as the Intelligence Chief with the USCG Marine Safety Office, Mobile, AL. Upon retiring from the service, he once again served the Coast Guard as a Civilian Federal Maritime Investigator. He was selected as the Federal Employee of the Year for Civil Law Enforcement, and the prestigious International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analyst’s (IALEIA) Professional Service award. As a Board Certified Hypnotherapist, serves clients nationwide through his Transformative Life Centering Program (TLC), he is recognized nationally for his successes with victims of abuse and emotional distress to regain confident and contented living in a short period of time. As a successful Leadership, Success and Stress Coach, he coaches business professionals, transitioning military and other goal-oriented individuals to new levels of success.

Book preview

Dedication

When thinking about this text and the many twists and turns while sharing the stories, I began thinking about those that had similar experiences, yet lack the means or voice to share.

This book is dedicated to those who are alone, or feel alone after abuse or mistreatment by others. It is for those who experienced mental, physical, emotional or spiritual harm, and now wonder where God really is.

This book is for those who are fearful or uncertain of a life path ahead because you inadvertently allowed someone else’s labels to define your beliefs, feelings, and self-confidence.

God is here. He loves you; He always did. He is the authority of the valuable person you are. No one can change God’s ruling or plan for your life.

A Path to Follow

Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Isaiah 25:1

Acknowledgement

Nothing in this book is possible without giving credit to God who created and oversees all things.

When floating through this thing called life, God directed paths I probably would not have chosen on my own. My vision for the future was clouded by my own internal focus. Once I realized that God is in fact, the one that gave me life with an eternal hope, I had no option but to acknowledge my sin and yield to His plan. My own impatience and frustrations provided no value other than a slow lesson over time that He knows what is best.

Even when I thought I reached the end of this book, He showed me I had another lesson to learn. That lesson could have led to my demise, but just like each time before, He intervened.  

Introduction

T

his book is a series of true life stories. Each had the potential to have ended with real death. More than a dozen times in my life, things could have ended poorly, from the hands of others, accidents, or from failure in my health. Each of the stories (except for the first two) are told by me in the first-person. I was there and can describe the events. The first two instances are based on narratives told to me by the one that tried to kill me. Some would say I’m lucky. I’d rather say I’m fortunate. I’m blessed, a benefactor of God’s grace and mercy.

Nothing happens by accident and my being here today is because God has, and continues to have, a plan for me. I wish I could say with certainty what that plan is, but I don’t yet know. God gives us each day, each heartbeat, and each breath. 

My intent for this book is to show that life can move forward, for both your life and mine after challenging circumstances. Each day we walk through life without a clue of where others are mentally, physically, or emotionally. If we did, we might show greater levels of kindness, or see others more kind to us. In a world of self-absorption, many have no idea where we are in ours.

This book is not a contest of who had greater challenges. Each life is different and my hope for you by reading these stories is that by keeping the faith and pursuing goodness, your life and potential are limitless.

Some Truths

Scripture says God knows the number of hairs on our head. I’m happy to say I’ve been able to make that job easier for Him since nowadays, He has fewer hairs to count. Everything that happens in our lives, good or bad, is because He allows it. His knowing each hair shows the level of detail and concern He has in our lives.

Each event and interaction with others is an opportunity to learn and apply His love and kindness toward others. I will not pretend that I’ve got that down. With age and experience, I’m getting closer but still have a short tolerance for irresponsible behavior. Some people can be knuckleheads, but that was me when I carried all my life baggage around.

With years, I’ve begun to see that each person has a story and while their words or actions may be abrupt, they signal their own need for kindness and understanding. When we develop the willingness to be aware of those around us, we gain the power to understand ourselves.

Given the scenarios described in this book, I don’t know why I lived through tough points, other than the realization that God willed it and He chose to protect me. It stings when I see or hear of good people that prematurely transition from this life, sometimes unexpectedly. When I see children fighting for their lives, that tears my heart at the core and I can be an emotional mess.

The Seeds of this Book

Shortly after a mini-stroke, I struggled with dizziness, brain fog, uncertainty, and fear of the future. For a time, I was in a nonfunctional condition after the stroke. During one of those dark days, I looked back at my life. The latest health incident seemed to come out of nowhere and I found myself fearful and depressive.

As I reminisced and searched for positive memories where God intervened, the stories in this book came to the surface. Recalling the many times when things went poorly, or times when I could have died might not seem like a good memory. Yet, it’s all about perspective. The events are all times when I did NOT die, and God showed He has more ahead.

As I write this, I’m reminded of my coaching and therapy practice. My primary clientele were women that lived through decades of horrendous abuses. They arrived from all over the U.S. and each sought to regain, or sometimes initially find, a life that included love and peace, kindness, hope and direction for their future. They, like me, experienced many episodes where their lives could have ended.

To you, as a reader and co-partner with me as we travel through these pages together, look back on your life. There might have been Close Calls on the highway, or illness; maybe you survived a criminal event or natural disaster. My guess is there are some instances