My wife Bev and I have been foster parents to teenage girls who have had to be taken out of their homes because parents have abused them at all levels. After some time watching the process of the girls’ coping with their background this story bubbled up from my heart. A Child Grabbed A child was grabbed young by an enemy of her soul. She was taken deep into enemy territory under heavy guard and held against her deepest desires for freedom, joy, and peace. The weapons of this enemy were not guns and bombs but were far more lethal weapons for the soul. They were weapons of adults sinning against that child, exposing her to the enemy’s ways. They were lies spoken repeatedly from the hearts of adults more interested in their own lust for pleasure than in the needs of their vulnerable child. The parent's used intimidation, anger, and resentment against their child. This child, having no spiritual weapons at her disposal, and being vulnerable to the lies of the enemy, identified with the enemy at some level, and was drawn into the lifestyle she saw. Deep in her heart she knew she was of a different country, with higher thoughts and actions, but the influences were so powerful she was drawn into its snares. The king of her native country agonized over the horror the child was facing. He set in motion a plan, a plan for freedom, joy, worship, holiness, and beauty. He had to work slowly and deliberately. The frustrating thing about this king is that he does not work quickly; he does not run off half-cocked into enemy territory. His plans are well thought through and carefully laid. He has a perfect strategy, and though the strategy looks dumb at first, most of his troops admit, when they look back, that his strategy is perfectly laid out. The king went to his Special Forces division. He laid out a map and gave the location of the child. He did not give a lot of plans to the team, but he got them ready by preparing their soul, because, you see, this team was once under the evil influence of the enemy also. The team had had its own skirmishes with the enemy. They were bloodied and bruised people as well. They were once held deep in his territory. They, in turn, had been helped by Special Forces that went deep in the enemy territory and pulled them out. So, in a perfect plan, patiently, lovingly, with great wisdom and patience he trained the forces in prayer, knowledge, and choices of the will. Though not completely trained, and purified by the king, at exactly the perfect time he pulled the team together for this relief effort. He brought these forces from all around the nation to come together with just the skills, and heart needed to lauch “Operation Child Rescue”. Meanwhile, the king had spies that kept an eye on the child. He brooded over the child and he never left the child’s side though the child did not and could not see him. Special Forces of a different type were also at work. They were called angels. This child was never away from the care of those special messengers. This child was in the grips of parents who were also captives in the enemy’s country. They had bought into the lies of the enemy, and lived by his intrigues and plans. This was devastating to the child, because all the things that the king loved were rejected by the child’s parents. The parents gave up joy, freedom, and peace for more seductive allures of sensual pleasures. They were thoroughly captivated mentally, emotionally, and spiritually by the enemy. The child was naturally pulled to this lifestyle by internal desires and by the influences of the family. The difficult thing about the enemy is that his lies are so appealing. People are drawn to them like a deer is drawn to the headlights of an oncoming car. The king wept over the child and hated every minute the child was in enemy hands, but he knew that moment for rescue had not come. The child was not ready, and the Special Forces were not in place. But then, one day, he made a declaration. He sent out the word. The Special Forces were on other assignments were brought together for a mission. They were taken away from family and friends and carried deep into enemy territory to rescue the child. Now prepared, the team went into action and the child was rescued. In some ways the child resisted rescue. The new territory she was moving to was unfamiliar. She did not know or necessarily trust the rescuers. She missed the things and people she had come to know, and at a weird level, trust. She was torn in her heart; some days liking the old ways and some days liking the new. Watching her wrestle with her emotions, desires, and thoughts, the Special Forces learned much from the king—patience, kindness, longsuffering, sorrow, joy, relief, and love. Now today she is still in the enemy territory. The enemy forces are all around her and though she is, now, not only helped by angels, but also by the new Special Forces sent from the king, there are daily skirmishes with the tenacious enemy who will not relent. In fact the enemy is really ticked off. He feels his grip loosening on the child and he hates it. The enemy has thrown everything at the team. He brings new strategies each day to try to keep the team from the one objective. The objective of the team is to rescue the child from the enemy’s territory. But since they are so deep in that territory, the battle is long and some days very difficult. Everyone gets bloodied at times. The enemy launches new grenades, mortars and the occasional stinger missile at the child and the team. Each day, thought, the team and the child get closer to the king’s country. They see the light of his kingdom just over the horizon. The light of righteousness draws her. The smell of the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control begin to touch her nostrils. The child is beginning to trust the team. She sees the sincere effort in the team to care. She sees that they are not perfect, but at their core they love. That love is powerful and it begins to draw her in, even against her own desires at times. Each day the Special Forces sit with the child to discuss the battles of the day. Some days are worse than others. The strong forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil still captivate parts of the child’s heart. But weird things begin to happen in the child’s heart. The true motives of the enemy begin to be seen. She sees the resulting darkness and death that pervade the enemy’s kingdom. His allures and plans begin to look less appealing. As she watches that kingdom, the rot and pussy sores of that world look so grotesque in the light of the new beauty she finds in the people of the king and of the king himself. The more she hears about the new king the more excited she is about him. She likes his way of life and his nature. Each day the Special Forces team learns new ways of conquering the evil plans. They involve the girl in the battles and she finds she is gaining new skills every day. She is on audio and sensory linkup with the king. Though she is not with him, she gets to talk with him whenever she wants. His channel is always tuned to her. She is getting direct input from him. She likes the things she learns from the Special Forces, but she really likes the intimate times of sharing with the king. His faithfulness to her, his integrity, his purity, goodness, grace and mercy are grabbing her heart. She is falling in love with him, and the enemy is looking more cruel and hateful every day. The mask is coming off the enemy. What looked so nice and alluring before now looks hideous and grotesque. The mask is coming off and what is underneath makes her want to puke. So, the battle goes on daily. The king and his forces, now along with the child, work steadily to move toward the bright kingdom. A cool thing is happening. New friendships are being forged in the battle. Each are seeing others strengths, and relying on them. Other children and other forces are coming together. It is now an army marching out of the enemy's land. Singing is breaking out in her heart. There is an excitement in the air. She can begin to smell victory. And though she is still ragged, weary, and wearing some of the clothes of the old country, her heart has been made new, and the new country is getting closer each day.
|