Destiny calling! The Race IS On and Chapter 8 of the adventure with Hopeful!
Like many Americans, today I find myself either glued to the news or constantly keeping myself busy with ticking off items off my to-do list. That's where I find myself right now as I am typing up this post. It's been a few weeks since my last check in and for that I apologize. I hope that this post will distract you a little bit and give you some hope and enjoyment as you follow along with Hopeful on her brilliant adventure of power, discovery and hope.
America is at a fork in the road. It sure is a battle for the soul of this nation! This historic election will determine the fate of this nation that will stretch out to affect and inspire the lives of our children and even those yet unborn.
We all need a break sometimes after going up and down.
As we wait, with bated breath, remember to hold onto the ones you love and the dreams in your heart. Find comfort in the truth that God is still on the throne. He will decide this election.
I find it so fascinating, perfect timing, indeed, as the chapter 8 is describing a race that Hopeful must run!
And if I may, I would love to end this short post with the quote below from Chapter 8 of this book, which can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Wilderness-Journey-Called-Heaven/dp/1718087292.
“Fellow Citizens of the Kingdom! It is well that you have
chosen me as your leader, but greater still is the undeniable fact that I was
chosen by the one above, our Father, who has positioned me right here, right
now. I will not act on my own accord but serve you as the Holy Spirit dictates,
fairly, kindly, truthfully. Our Father is well pleased that you are now set
free, and free you will remain if you cling to the Truth. Do not deviate from
the path set before us! A great task has been assigned for us up ahead. We must
seek higher ground now, ahead of our enemies, to view the landscape, rest,
prepare and strategize. If you are afraid, still come along, may you at least
have a respite with us. I will ask the ones that are ready, after a specified
time, to join me in the greatest battle of their lives. LET’S SET THE CAPTIVES
FREE!”
The birds were chirping, the light was shining, a cheerful
crowd of children gathered around us. The Prophet took me to one side, giving
me his last bits of advice and reminding me to be continuously strong and
courageous.
“You will never be alone. The Father is watching you,” he
said.
Then he took me by my right hand and moved me up along my
track. This time I was starting further along, not where I’ve begun before. The
old man returned to his viewing position and shouted out fiercely, “Run,
Hopeful, run! Don’t look back, stay in your lane, finish your race!”
I began to run and as I ran, colors began to swirl, and the
landscape began to change around me.
And simple as that… I was back.
Those same people were looking back at me, having just
finished their drink and their food, as if no time at all had passed. So much
inside me had changed since my last visit here, but nothing had changed in this
dimension, except for one thing, I had a beautiful sword in my right hand. It
had multiple words carved all over its handle but the only one I could
recognize was Faith. Gemstones were carefully fashioned into the gold of the
handle.
As I looked at my left hand, I was surprised to find that I
still had, although now slightly smaller, the bundle of sweet breads given to
me by Compassion.
I took a step forward towards the crowd of men and women,
the captives that were now set free and began to speak.
“Fellow Citizens of the Kingdom! It is well that you have
chosen me as your leader, but greater still is the undeniable fact that I was
chosen by the one above, our Father, who has positioned me right here, right
now. I will not act on my own accord but serve you as the Holy Spirit dictates,
fairly, kindly, truthfully. Our Father is well pleased that you are now set
free, and free you will remain if you cling to the Truth. Do not deviate from
the path set before us! A great task has been assigned for us up ahead. We must
seek higher ground now, ahead of our enemies, to view the landscape, rest,
prepare and strategize. If you are afraid, still come along, may you at least
have a respite with us. I will ask the ones that are ready, after a specified
time, to join me in the greatest battle of their lives. LET’S SET THE CAPTIVES
FREE!”
I roared out the last sentence with fervor and tremendous
strength, my hands stretched out to the heavens.
I recognized within me this new appreciation for the Warrior
that I was in this realm. I felt quite capable. For the first time in my life,
I felt as if I belonged within my own skin. Something just clicked and it all
fit within the grand plan of the One that designed me.
I motioned for the crowd to follow me, secured the sword to
my side, and we began the trek ahead of us.
We walked for hours. That gentle light that led me out of my
own darkness was ahead of us every step of the way. It seemed strange to me
that not everyone could see this light. Soon enough, people began to stumble,
grumble, and step all over each other.
Disgruntled sounds reached my ears causing me to pause. I
began to walk through the group, connecting the ones that could see with the
ones that couldn’t, requesting them to hold onto each other. This technique
sped up the process but, oddly enough, something else began to slow us down.
I couldn’t believe it.
Some of the partners started to criticize one another for
seeing or not being able to see. As those people complained, the rest of the
people began to pitch in, and the noise rose high above us.
I became worried that we would attract the attention of our
enemies. And soon enough, a swarm of dark flies commenced to encircle us. I
positioned our warriors around the assembly, whose job was to swat these flies
away, while I tried to discuss the situation with the rest of the group. The
warriors did a great job not allowing the flies into the camp.
It took just one warrior to be knocked out of his position
by an angry, rough-looking man who pushed his partner, breaking the perimeter.
The flies swarmed into that opening and began to bite the
people within.
It was such a mess!
We had to move forward. I knew that we had to find that
higher ground now, but the people were so consumed by the flies and each other
that they lost sight of the great mission at hand.
Disappointment hit me hard, followed by anger. How petty
these people were! How quickly they forgot their plight! Instead of being
grateful for being set free, and helpful, they chose to criticize each other
for being something that they themselves weren’t. They wasted their time and
energy and now here we were, completely disoriented, completely off our
scheduled time.
I began to shout out to the people to keep going, to
organize, help their neighbor, forget their petty ways and remember what was at
stake, but it was like shouting into the wind.
They couldn’t or wouldn’t hear me.
I took fifty steps forward, away from the crowd, distancing
myself from the mess and the noise. Why was I here? How could I possibly
believe that I could lead these people? I was torn between moving forward and
going back to try again.
I didn’t have any more strategies to use on them.
Sitting down by a tree, I took out one of the sweet breads
and began to eat in contemplation. Feeling a little bit better, I began to
pray. I don’t know how long I prayed for, but I reached a point where I felt
peace come over me and joy began to bubble up within me.
“The joy of the Lord is my strength!” I shouted out.
I got up from my sitting position and found an extra weight
on my back. Trying to have a good look at my backside, I figured out that now I
carried a bag of sorts. Taking it down, I opened the brown leather satchel and
its two golden buckles. Inside, I found a horn. And just like that, I knew what
I had to do.
I heard the Wind around me whisper, “The Lord is my rock, my
fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield
and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).
I grabbed the horn, threw in the few remaining breads into
the satchel, secured the bag, and ran back to the people.
Nearing the crowd, I saw a big boulder which I proceeded to
scale nimbly. Standing at the top, I began to blow the horn. The sound that
came out threw us all into a Holy awe. The people stopped in their tracks as if
frozen. The swarming flies dropped dead to the ground. It was an incredible
scene, everything stood frozen in time. The land itself dove into a heavy
silence.
I began to pray and declare over the people, inciting them
towards a brotherly love, instructing them to keep their gaze on the one and
only, Jesus, their Savior, through whose strength I was now able to lead them,
through whom they were set free.
The people began to organize themselves into the pairings
I’ve originally designed for them. The ones at the front spoke to me,
beseeching me to continue to lead.
I jumped down from the boulder, looking back at the height of
the rock in amazement. I couldn’t believe the lightness I felt in my step, the
sheer ability to move through the air as if flying. More than that, I was
surprised at my fearlessness.
We continued our trek through the woods. It was always murky
in the areas surrounding us, but now it began to get darker and darker. The
blackness of our surroundings seemed even more pronounced because of the light
that was around us. It seemed to stop at a specific distance from the crowd,
outlining our perimeter.
By this time, most of the people began to perceive the light
and the ones who didn’t, they were graciously and kindly assisted by their
partners. They, in turn, were very appreciative of the help given to them.
Peace permeated the atmosphere.
Constantly being on guard for anything that may come at us
from any side, I decided it would be wise to appoint three warriors, not
civilians, to keep watch over their respective sides. Each guard was in charge
either for the right, left, or the back of our perimeter. I was very focused on
the front.
After what seemed like forever, the light leading us
onwards, stopped, glowed brightly and then faded out into a gentle candlelight
color that only rested upon our people and wherever we stood. I was very
nervous at the idea of making camp right there, spending the night anywhere
other than where we were supposed to be at that time.
This territory was full of unease. We were supposed to be on
higher ground by now, but although we made progress, we had wasted time earlier
on, so here we were, not knowing what surrounded us.
I instructed everyone to make camp, to lay down for the
night in shifts. A group of people had to be always at the ready.
Within a few hours, the temperature began to drop
tremendously. People started to shiver and quake. The ones that were asleep
were woken up by their nonsleeping neighbors. We gathered together, taking
turns being in the center of the group where the body heat of the collective
made it almost bearable. We spent the night like that, encircling each other.
The ring of people on the outer layer were facing the woods, keeping watch,
sharing the scriptures they’ve committed to memory to stay awake and strong in
spirit.
I couldn’t sleep. The responsibility for the group rested
very heavily on me. I knew that today we must make great headway.
A sigh of relief swept through the camp when the first signs
of the morning brought out a few chirping birds and a bit more light. Although
the day was creeping in, the cold temperature let up slightly, keeping us all
uncomfortable and lethargic.
When the path ahead of us began to pulsate with the welcome light,
I begged the people to join me in a slight jog, in an attempt to warm up. When
I saw that they were managing that pace, I increased the intensity from a jog to
a run.
I don’t know how much time had passed, but in my estimation,
it was about mid-morning when we reached a meadow upon which a few young deer
were prancing around. They weren’t afraid of us but seemed to invite us to
follow them, bringing us very shortly to a stream with sparkling water.
After I’ve announced a break and a time of refreshment by
the stream, I set myself apart from the crowd, nestling myself into the grass,
looking up at the sky. The meadow was delightful. Fresh, inviting, sunny.
That was when I fell asleep, exhausted.
Through my dreamless state, although asleep, I began to
perceive a slithering around me, and then, a menacing, war-ready whisper broke
air by my left ear, hissing that my time would come when I would finally
realize that I wasn’t made for this, that I was nothing, that whom I called
Jesus was just leading me into a sure defeat.
…This was just a setup for a trap. The people weren’t worth
it. It would only get harder from here on out, so what was the point? …
The hypnotizing whisper sounded very familiar to me. I sat
up, electrified, knowing that I wasn’t alone even though I couldn’t see the
entity. The grass around me began to part as if an invisible force was passing
through the blades. I whipped out my sword, angry at my intruder. I wasn’t
going to fall prey to the lies, not this time.
Jumping to my feet, my sword at the ready, I began to scan
the area around me. Paying attention to the pattern of where the blades were
moving, I began to anticipate the direction of where this unholy creature would
be. I swung my sword, not knowing if this invisible thing would be at all
affected, but it surely was, as a shriek, followed by a small whimper, broke my
concentration. I saw the grass part in front of me as the attacker slithered
away.
I understood, right then and there, that I had to forever be
ready and prepared for battle. Even during rest, I must be aware, anticipate
and preempt any possible attacks.
I quickly rejoined the group.
After gathering the people, I proceeded to lead them into a
collective prayer. When that was done, I looked after their wounds caused by the
flies, massaging salve that I’ve found in my satchel earlier on. Provision
seemed to come up at just the right time. The great power above was sending me
the tools needed to deal with every circumstance. I began to expect something
new at each turn of events.
After ministering to the people, we refilled our water jugs
and continued to move onwards.
The sun was shining brightly. After a couple of hours of
walking, we found ourselves crossing over a desert. A sign greeted us at the
beginning of the sandy open space: Desert of Despair.
People were getting very tired. I began to move through the
ranks, encouraging men and women to continue, to trust the process, that God
was leading us, that He is for us and not against us.
After fifteen minutes of walking in this harsh and
sweltering land, about a third of the people began to slow down.
Choosing a new leader, they announced that they would be
going back to the meadow, making camp, and perhaps a new life, around the water
source there.
I was very disappointed.
Nothing I said would change their minds. They didn’t want to
go forward, but instead, they chose the familiar surroundings with its own dangers.
Even my story about the invisible snake barely made an impression. They knew
what they knew and chose to ignore the rest.
They moved backwards, and the rest of the team moved
forwards. I wrestled in the spirit constantly as the sweat dripped down my
face. We began to exhaust our water supply, but the group stood strong. We
walked in silence, saving our energy and resolve.
I heard the Wind whisper to me, “Look ahead. I have prepared
a feast for you in the desert. Refresh and restore your army. Push through until
the end. Rest is coming.”
I looked ahead and saw nothing.
I kept looking ahead, expecting to see something, but still
I saw nothing. By this point, a few of my companions began to drop down into
the sand. My strongest began picking them up and tossing them onto their backs.
They were so brave.
I told them everything I’ve heard, hoping to instill more
courage. We all decided that I would run ahead to scope out the territory.
Running, sweating, stumbling, I began to scream out into the
atmosphere, despair was clawing at my feet. Exhausted, I tripped, fell, and
stayed on the ground prostrate, crying into the sand. Knowing that the people
were counting on me, I got up and made myself shuffle forward. Wiping tears and
sand off my face, I could barely believe what I saw!
A heavenly oasis was waiting for us, complete with a pool of
water, palm trees, grassy areas and most importantly, a huge table filled with
all sorts of foods and pitchers, pitchers everywhere!
I saw an Angel motioning, inviting me to come and drink from
one of them. I was so astounded to see this being, beautifully dressed, with
beating wings. He held the pitcher to my mouth and I drank my fill, after which,
he told me to run back to the group to encourage them and show them the way.
My strength and well-being supernaturally restored, I ran
back, feeling as if I was flying. Their countenances gladdened as they gazed
upon my transformed appearance. I relieved one of my men of his weighty companion
and led the group to the oasis.
We drank and ate and drank some more. Then we all jumped
into the pool of water to refresh ourselves! Playfully, we scampered around in
the water, filled with joy.
When we got out of the pool, we found beautiful robes folded
neatly near our worn-out clothes. Fresh new sandals replaced our weary ones. It
felt amazing to wear something so clean, fabric so comfortable, and sandals
that fit just right.
I separated myself from the group, once again, to seek the
Lord and His instructions.
After my prayer, I felt the breeze blow through my hair and
around me. My robes shifted around my legs. The Wind whispered, “Keep moving.
The end is in sight. You will see my Mountain that I will give you. You and your
people must scale it. At the top, you will make camp. Tomorrow, I will show you
the area that will fall into your hands.”
I recounted what I heard to the people. We decided to keep
going although a few were very unhappy, grumbling, desiring to stay in this
oasis. Nevertheless, all of us made it
out of that tempting and refreshing spot.
The desert looked ominous. Right before the people were
beginning to show wear on their emotions, the sands ended abruptly.
We walked into a pleasant territory filled with shrubbery,
plants, and birds who were chirping away. It was quite lovely.
Trekking a bit more, we came upon a very steep mountain. It
was grand, and the higher grounds showed signs of being more and more lush
further up the mountain.
This is where the trouble began.
People wanted to make camp at the bottom of the mountain. I
reminded them of what I’ve heard, but some were too far gone for reason, asking
me who was I to command them to do anything. The rest of the group pointed out
that I was chosen by all of them to lead, and lead I must, as I was the only
one who received the messages from Heaven.
And once again, a third of my team chose to stay behind.
Some of them stripped the weaker ones of their supplies as those moved ahead to
continue with me.
This time, I didn’t take it personally. It dawned on me that
they weren’t rejecting me, but the One who sent me. My heart ached for Him.
The rest of my team, coming together closer in spirit,
helping and encouraging one another, proceeded to move up the mountain, slowly
but surely. Just when we thought we couldn’t take another step, we found
ourselves at the top. Falling to the ground, we laughed, cried and hugged each
other. It was then, in unison, that we saw the army of Angels around us. They
were protecting our peace and our perimeter. Smiling, they waved at us. We
waved back. We knew we were safe, thus it was the perfect time for us to simply
fall into a healthy sleep. God was with us.
Come back next week to find out what happens next!
May you stay Hopeful, always!
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