The Presence of God

The movie we watched Tuesday night reminded me of a story I wrote. In this story, Cinderella gets lost on the way to the ball and ends up in a strange mansion. She doesn’t know she’s the lost heir to the throne. She doesn’t know she’s found her biological family. She doesn’t know the power of her father or about the less than honorable men who frequent the house. She doesn’t know a werewolf guards her while she sleeps.

As I drove home from the movie, I realized my story’s flaws. The father is powerful. The five brothers dearly love their long lost sister. Sure, there may be less than honorable men lingering constantly around the house, but if any one of them even thought of harming the long lost princess, they would perish swiftly. She doesn’t need a werewolf to guard her. She doesn’t need to defend herself. She doesn’t need to lock her door at night.

I don’t need to be afraid when I sleep. I don’t need to be afraid when I wake. I don’t need to be afraid of any demons that wish to harm me. I am the daughter of the LORD. My Father is the first to know when any intend to harm me, and as all-powerful-all-present King of the universe, he opens his mouth and his breath destroys his enemies. The rumor of his coming sends them running.

In playground disputes, we said, “I’m going to tell my dad!” and no one cared. But in spiritual disputes, all the demons shudder at these words.

After work on Wednesday, I meant to run, but the radio story caught my attention. The angel of the Lord encamps about those who love him. I ran inside and turned on the radio in my room as I changed into running clothes. I intended to skip the end of the story in order to exercise but stood immovable as I listened to the terrors of a pastor lost in 2am New York.

At God’s word he talked to two sketchy men who then tried to kill him. But as soon as he cried out to Jesus, a truck pulled up with an angel in it. He didn’t recognize the angel, but the angel took the pastor miraculously back to his car and stayed with him until he was safe.

“It was a pleasure serving you,” the angel said.

And maybe that’s true. As God’s chosen people, maybe the angels delight in keeping us safe and guarding us from all kinds of unknown terrors.

So I finally ran, half an hour late. I ran down the quickly darkening road and into the fading light, not as afraid as I would have been. I didn’t run alone. I ran with a posse of angels at my back. I am never alone. I always go out in company. Dark gravel roads and coyote packs have nothing to say to me. 

Things to pray for:

I am working 4 day weeks with 5 days of work to get done. It's stressful. 

I am unfaithful and easily tire of the work God has for me. Pray that I would work to excel in the gifts that build up the church.