It was likely in Sept. of 1995. It was the first time I encountered God clearly interacting with a client and myself. It was the best ‘Sunday school story’ I had ever heard!
I had been interacting with this lady for many months. (We will call her Tessa for the sake of confidentially.) She came into the office for our regular time together, but nothing was regular! She was enraged with me! Tessa had survived being born into and growing up in a satanic cult and was trying to escape from her evil perpetrators. The personality who arrived in my office, whose name was ‘Hallowed’, had been groomed and forced into a role to play on Halloween which included the killing of babies. She was to show up to a ceremony on the upcoming Halloween and perform her duty or endure unimaginable torture. But ‘her people’ were working to stay away from the ceremony and she was terrified.
With a loud, angry voice she declared, “And it is all your fault!” I needed to back off and let her attend the ritual! In the interaction she nearly screamed at me “And your God is no different than my god!”
Surprised, I replied, “I certainly do not understand. I think my God is very different than Satan. Help me understand what I am missing.”
“Your God kills babies!”
That caught me off guard and I could not come up with anything in my repertoire that matched this way of thinking! “Really? When? Help me with what I do not know.”
Hallowed responded, “You have read your Bible. The flood. Your God killed everyone! Your God killed all the babies!”
Well, I had no response to that one! Yes, all were destroyed. I had no comeback. Yet out of my mouth flew the words, “Wow!” I gulped. “I never thought of that. But I didn’t kill the babies and have no idea about why God killed the babies. God has to answer for Himself. I can’t answer for Him. Let’s ask Him.”
And then my anxiety escalated. What if God didn’t answer!
But God was already responding! I watched Hallowed’s face grow pale, her eyes filled with horror. She watched an internal video clip of women and men and children being engulfed in the flood. Screaming! Grasping! Clawing each other! Babies waling while being held up as high as possible!
Then her face changed to an expression I did not know how to interpret. Hallowed glanced at me with a mischievous look in her eyes. “I suppose you want to know what is happening?”
“Yes!”
Hallowed described the video clip of terror. And then a large hand came down. The souls of hundreds of babies came out of the water and rested in the hand of God! And God voiced, “Hallowed, I had to do this to save the babies!”
We both sat in amazement. In awe of a God who is radically different than the god of this world. A God who goes to extremes to lovingly bring salvation from the ravages of evil. We were on holy ground!
Yes, there was much for Hallowed and I to interact about in the weeks to come! But some things were clear.
God is different than Satan! Thank God!
There is much happening behind the screen of what we see and are even told of regarding events in the Bible!
God is involved in the history of this world, bringing salvation and restoration in magnitude ways that we have no comprehension of!
His ways are not our ways and too big for our finite minds.
He is good, personal, and a loving Interactive Presence!
I am looking forward to an eternity to hear the rest of the stories I did not hear in Sunday school!
12 Comments
Wow! That connects with what our discussion at church said Sunday as we were grappling with the flood. We usually think of how it would have been to be like Noah and those before the flood, knowing God for hundreds of years in this world. How much closer they could have become to God, we think, when we see ourselves growing more and more intimate as the years go by. But we have to remember that evil was also intensifying over hundreds of years! And that God’s judgment was indeed a mercy. A rescue.
HI Betsy. Yep. There is sooo much more to the context of what we read in the Bible. This interaction has been helpful through the years, reminding me that God doesn’t tell me everything- but He does know what He is doing and it is always interspersed with love and wisdom. Thanks for taking time to read and jot me a note, Betsy.
I feel like I just read my life story this was so powerful.
Dear Genine! While I wish your story was not so familiar to this one, I very much want for you to keep having powerful glimpses into what our True God is about behind the scenes!
Wow! I’m so thankful that our loving Father guides you with these precious ones to know truth. It is a powerful lesson that we ( I ) need to let God speak for Himself rather than try to give answers that don’t satisfy. Thank you for your ministry to so many near and far. Love you, Amy
Thanks, Amy, for taking time to read and jot me a note. I need to keep on remembering myself to let God speak for Himself. That He does not need me to ‘justify Him.’ I appreciate you and your encouragement to me!
That’s an amazing vision! I love it! “The souls of hundreds of babies came out of the water and rested in the hand of God! And God voiced, ‘Hallowed, I had to do this to save the babies!'” So the times when god wiped out entire towns or cities, God did it to save the babies! What an amazing revelation.
Hi Debbie. Yep! Having God’s heart displayed this way with so much passion- back during the days of the flood and again with Hallowed- did my soul good! And such an encouragement that God is about so much more than my limited vision can grasp! Thanks for taking time to jot me a note!
Maribeth, this was so moving. I just read your latest post today in your email and saw this one. Both are excellent. Quick question—do you have a link to the exquisite image above of the little girl beside the open Bible? I love that!
Hi Sabra. Thanks for taking time to read my ‘ponderings’ and giving me your encouraging feedback. I do not take that lightly.
The picture- it is quite lovely, isn’t it!!! But I must give credit to the man- David Beauleau- who runs my website. I am technically challenged- and he pulls it all together, including finding pictures that go along with what I write. (From some site he is a member of, or something like that.) I am not sure if you can get a copy of it. I will try to remember to ask him, and if it is an option I will let you know. May this week be a great one for you! Maribeth
Your ability to listen to God and stay calm in a “difficult” situation is amazing. God gave you the ability to be calm in the presence of lies and evil. What a great lesson in staying in Shalom.
You are such a loving, kind, teacher.
Melody Mangum
Melody, thanks for taking time to read my post and to respond! You are a significant encourager to me!!!