You gave me something that you could take away.
You gave me…hope.
You made a promise.
You convinced me to love.
And then you took it away.
It was a planned removal.
A calculated risk.
A manipulation of trust.
A conception of sin
That turned out to be the best thing that could have ever happened to us.
The most horrid, mean-heated, demon-ization of our relationship manifested into the biggest blessing.
You left me. And I’m grateful.
I shall use this as an opportunity to reference a lesson that I’ve spent the past three years learning. When I thought that I was in the presence of God, I was instead being protected by him (which is far more personal). I endured a storm so harsh, others could not have survived it. But I came through unscathed.
I’d been fooled and conditioned into thinking that I was on the path to blessings. All along, however, I was being led by a temptress who called herself the dream maker. My naivety cloaked her harmful ways. And although she could spew scripture and scoot in and out of sanctuaries unaffected, she was no angel. To the contrary, she may have been a minion–a false prophet indeed.
I’m safe now, but she’s only begun to call upon the next like a siren. The next guy is the son of a preacher man. That guy may not stand as a good a chance than I because, as a descendant of a holy messenger, the bounty is far greater.
I pray for his soul; that the Lord create a hedge of protection around him; and I pray that he is more discerning than I was.
False Prophets Mimic the Spirit of God!
The Story will be told by many men. It will be a story of a woman who claims to be the heir to the throne. She will argue that if she has to prove her legacy, her challengers simply lack faith.
She demanded that each man she tempted believe in her. In doing so, those “kings-to-be” will have a Devine connection to the Almighty. It was believable. I admit that I too conceded. I tasted the forbidden fruit, and it came easily. Am I condemned as well (for trusting this wolf)??
Do we chastise the ones who believe the lies? Do we judge the fools?
God protects the children and the fools. The children do not know better, but the fools are in peril because of their simple ignorance.
“Tomfoolery is alive and well,” she used to say!
In short, she was a liar! Or was she?? She choose a narrative that was not genuine. And she sold it. A sucker is born every minute…every minute that he spends with her.
Her entire story was a cover up of a life she choose to live–a life of ill-repute and a life of regret; a life that could have been forgiven by her Savior. She may never gain forgiveness because she choose to lie about it instead of testifying.
After searching many scriptures, this one gave me every certainty that I was in the midst of a raven:
“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.”(Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NIV)
She inspired a higher belief in God (accidentally). Having survived her clutches, I am affirmed that He protected me. I was bathed in the blood of Christ. Her plan was foiled. She did not mean for me to get closer to Him. She wanted my essence for herself.
While in the midst of a spiritual attack, during a fast or consecration, I would to say to her, “are you ReAlly surprised that these attacks would come now?” I’d say this to her each time we witnessed God’s glorious works; each time he protected us from certain destruction. Any time we weathered a spiritual attack, we knew He’d protect us.
She must have secretly been crossing her fingers.
My prayer today is simply that the Enemy release His hold on her life so that she not be destroyed nor damn her victims.
Peace be unto her, for I refused to sleep with the enemy nor make love to the false prophet.
Lingering rain droplets replaced the morning dew. The summer breeze enticed Angels’ tear drops to roll off the maple trees leaves. An acorn falls onto his shoulder, and he quickly turns about to see who threw it. There was no one there. He was alone again.
He’d seen many storms and had come through several of his own. He was no longer afraid. He knew that his walk was a lonely one. His path was his own. His perils were only temporary. The storm had passed. All that was left were the drying leaves and the moist grass between his toes.
He was refreshed…
We deal in the “what if’s”
when recognizing how fortunate we are
We convince ourselves that there’s a single point
in our own personal history that our life changed
(for the better or for the worst)
But let’s suspend the rules
Let’s release…
Let’s offer the responsibility up to a force greater than our own.
Things happen!
We convince ourselves that things happen for a reason.
As intellectuals, we accept the premise of cause and effect.
Things happen…
…and we convince ourselves that we can take measures to prevent
…things from happening.
Be humbled. Accept that we don’t know!
Not knowing IS ignorance,
But ignorance doesn’t need to be blissful.
The bliss comes from not caring.
But the bliss can come from gaining knowledge.
The bliss can come from the release.
The release of defeat.
The release of deceit.
The release of something sweet.
The receipt of…
Knowledge
…the knowledge that comes from wisdom
…the wisdom that comes from an awareness
…and the awareness that what we know to
be true…
…is WRONG.
Suspend your beliefs.
Slowly close your eyes.
Beware of the dream makers!
They may deliver on the dream,
But can not guarantee the reality
Rise and shine, and give God the glory, Glory…
Before I awaken my resting Angels
Before I walk out this door
And inhale the air outside
I pray the Lord keep them by His side
We are blessed to have
each and every soul
That is in our lives
I pray He protects each of us
That He keep us
That He humble us
Empower us
Through wisdom
And Hope.
Through Faith
And Love
Amen
Where are you now?
I’m reminded of the view out my window just 36 months ago. I recall the physical position I was in and the literal position I’d put someone else in. I remember the act in which we were engaged, and how the view was very similar. I remember the act was very beautiful. I remember the denial (sans betrayal) of a sanctity that was an illusion.
I remember the long trip. I remember the journey towards familiarity and the arrival home. I remember the relationships created along the way as I delete them one…by…one.
It’s 5am. I’m not calling. There’s nothing left to say. I’ve deleted the contacts, removed the tags, archived the letters, and folded the dirty rags.
It wasn’t a lie. Now I know. The deception was not my own. The reflection was joint endeavor–a partnership. It was an illusion–a magic trick at best. But it’s been said that just because it’s magic doesn’t mean it’s not real.
It’s realness permeates my soul. My healing is in real time. It’s 5:30am.
The light comes through the window of this hotel room of mine. It’s not the Weston, but a different frame of mind…
This time my children sleep next to me. In a few hours, I’ll leave them behind as I go to facilitate change. In the fantasy we created, I would lead a reform movement. Now I realize that I am the reform. Before one can lead, one must learn to follow. There IS nobility in knowing who to follow.
Who will follow you? Not I. It wasn’t fun. Those who followed me; they all began to run. Leadership is not about quantifying the movement; it’s about qualifying the purpose. It’s about writing a goal down, making a plan, and taking action. A trifecta that was never fulfilled. ACTION…
Walking with purpose. Leading with pride? Preserving the dignity? Indiscretions un-hide.
It’s 5:45am.
Sometimes the reflection comes from the glare in the window. Other times it’s the image in the mirror. Often we see what we want to see. Seldom we understand what is reflected back.
What I saw then was a culmination of naiveness, trust, and a desire to be obedient. Now we have greater wisdom, descernment, and an understanding. Delayed obedience is disobedience.
I’m grateful for a forgiving God. For the God within myself is far more forgiving than the God in someone else.
The flowers never wilted because the flowers were not real. The dreams (given away with each compliment) could never be fulfilled. I have to laugh just a little as a smile comes across my face.
Everyone could see the truth except for the one in the mirror.
This guy was enticed by another dreamer’s armor. With its shininess and polished exterior, I was mesmerized. I could not see the chinks in the armor or the pushed-out dents. The evidence of previous battles was concealed.
No one else will be able to fully relate to my reflection. It’s clear that the only reflection we see in the mirror is our own. Is this why I keep fewer mirrors in my home? Do we avoid the reflection to escape the reality?
Or have we realized that even a mirror’s reflection is not real. In fact it is reversed.
