The Nightmares of Children

My little niece is staying with us for the next two weeks. When my sister goes to work, she brings my niece up and puts her in bed with me so that she doesnt wake up downstairs by herself.

The other morning, she woke up crying. "Auntie Linda," she said, (don't you just love that! I melt whenever she says that!), "I had a bad dream."

I said, "Tell me your dream." So she said, "It was raining really hard. My mom went to get into the car and her boyfriend came out, and then all my baby clothes washed away." I thought that was a very profound dream. The concept of the baby clothes washing away represents loss of innocence. We all have to grow up sometime (the very harsh reality) but I suppose it would be a nightmare to a five year old.

When I was a baby Christian, an old party friend called me and asked if she could stay with me. I told her that if she was clean and sober (not drinking or using any drugs) that she could stay with me, but not if she was still partying. A couple weeks later she called and said she was off drugs and hadn't had a drink for a couple weeks, so I told her she could come stay at my little apartment.

Within two weeks, she had wrecked havoc on my life. A big can of coffee that usually last me a month was gone in two days. She had loud gnarly fights with her dad on the phone and would slam the reciever down and be perfectly calm. She smoked pot off the back balcony, but worst of all, she turned my 7 year old daughter against me (a la "Hand that Rocks the Cradle.") It was like Satan was making a last ditch effort to bring me back into his realm. I told my spiritual overseers at the time, and they told me I needed to kick her out of my apartment. I thought I should give her two weeks notice, they said, no, give her 24 hours notice and make sure she leaves her key. I knew this was a spiritual situation, so I obeyed.

I was sitting on the couch and she was standing up on the other side of the room, screaming and crying and saying how mean I was to do this to her, etc. Then something strange happened. I saw a picture in my mind of two dogs fighting, and one was in the "dominant" position, and I heard a voice say, "Stand up." I stood up and all of a sudden she ran out of the room. I knew the Lord was at work in that situation, and I had a profound feeling of, "Resist the devil and he will flee" but it wasn't until much later that I learned that was Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom. (I also recognized that it wasn't her that I was fighting but the adversary through her.) So even as a babe in Christ - the Lord was showing me spiritual truths, and letting me know that I belonged to Him and that he would protect me in times of trouble.

It is very sad, that I backslid. I wished I could have grown and matured from that point rather than back to the mire, after having been washed. Clothes in God's Word represent our spiritual condition. I am reminded of Zech 3:1-4,

"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. "

Thank God, for his mercy and forgiveness.

From Michael Boldea's blog Homeward Bound today:

"Too many believers today want victory without confrontation; they want to overcome without being in battle; they refuse the designation of warrior for Christ because of all it implies and are content with forever being babes in Christ. We are babes in Christ but for a season, then we must mature, and grow, be seasoned and trained to become warriors because that is what God requires of us. Once we become that soldier of God, that warrior for Christ, then confrontation is inevitable because the enemy has us at the top of his list. When we are on the frontlines of the spiritual battle that we see waging all around us, then we are in the enemy’s crosshairs."

Full article here.
That is why the WHOLE ARMOR of God is so important. Armor is stronger than mere every day clothes. Now is the time to study Ephesians 6, and prepare against the evil day.

Thank you Lord, for washing us and cleaning us up. In Jesus name AMEN.