Angels of Humility: A Novel (10 page)

Joel looked at Malta. “No chance of that happening.”

There was an uncomfortable five-minute period where no one went forward. All heads were bowed, praying that someone, anyone, would pray. Finally, Wilma decided that she would break the silence. As she walked to the microphone there was a collective, silent sigh of relief.

“Dear Lord, You know about the jail that they want to put in our town. I’d ask You to cancel these plans and send them back to the devil, where they came from.” Amens resounded from all corners of the room. “You know that the town’s children need to go to bed at night feeling safe, and we need to go to bed at night knowing our children are safe. That would just never happen again once they break ground on a jail.”

Sarah sat in the back row in shock, her heart pounded.
Lord did I hear wrong? I was so sure it was You
.

Lying whispered, “Of course you heard wrong. These people have been Christians for years. Listen to the rest of the prayers and you’ll get your answer as to who is right and
who
is wrong.”

There were two prayers about finding the right pastor, and Michelle Bunkoff prayed for her husband to be saved and the gallbladder problems he had to be healed. Bernice prayed for the homebound members, and all the other 30 prayers were against the jail.

Two new demonic reinforcements also attended the prayer meeting that evening—Respectability and Intimidation were there to help sway Sarah. It was 7:50 and she was still wrestling with whether to go forward.

“You got ridiculed the last time you sincerely thought you heard the Lord,” said Respectability.

“Remember how sure you were, and remember how no one in your Sunday school class appreciated what you had to say?”

“Who are you to think that you hear better than all these people? No one in this room except you—the brand new Christian—believes that this jail is from the Lord. Don’t you think you’re being a little arrogant? And we all know that arrogance is a sin,” added Intimidation.

Confusion broke over her like waves; she felt like she was going crazy. Malta suggested she open her Bible to Matthew chapter 25. She half expected it not to be there. When she read verse 36,
“I was naked and You clothed Me; I was sick and You visited Me; I was in prison and You came to Me….”
she started to cry again. Malta gently whispered, “Yes Sarah, you heard from the Lord. See how the Holy Spirit rests on you when you read this verse? Do you feel how your heart grieves when you hear plans that go against Father’s heart?”

“Intercede for Father’s will, not the will of the people, to come to this town,” said Joel. “Never stop standing for God’s will, even if you
feel
like you’re standing alone. You’re never alone when you’re standing for Father.”

Malta was incensed from listening to 45 minutes of prayers that were addressed to God, but were contrary to His will, all begging Him to do something He had no intention of doing.

“Get up Sarah,” encouraged Malta. “You’re the only one here tonight who can pray God’s will about the jail—the only one!”

With great physical and emotional effort, Sarah shuffled toward the microphone. Joel and Malta were providing invisible yet necessary support on her right and left. She was trembling as she bowed her head and closed her eyes.

“Lord,” she began, her voice wavering, “I believe You’ve shown me that this jail is Your will. I know that’s not a popular thing to say. I also believe that You showed me that I and other church members have the responsibility to visit the inmates and tell them about Your love for them. So I would just ask that You bring about Your will in our town on this matter.” When she opened her eyes and looked up, the whole congregation was staring at her. She had planned to read Matthew 25, but realized she would break down sobbing if she tried. She felt far too vulnerable to cry in front of
this group. She closed her Bible and with her two unseen helpers imparting strength to her fragile frame, she shuffled back to her seat. As she passed each pew, heads turned to watch her go by. The silence was loud.

I should have expected this from her
, thought Paul.
Why am I not surprised? Now how do I close this meeting? Lord, how do I wrap this up nice and neat?

“Why do you want things nice and neat Paul? Jesus stirred controversy everywhere He went,” said Saldu. “Desire the truth, not the path of least resistance. You don’t need a wish bone, you need a back bone.”
⁴

He walked slowly to the microphone. “Lord, thank You for the people who came out tonight to pray; bless them. Thank You that You see what lies ahead for our church and community. Bring Your will to pass. Amen.”

Sarah didn’t understand the impact that her prayers would have in Heaven, but she was pretty sure that between Paul and the church members, she’d just signed her social death warrant.

Lying immediately criticized Respectability and Intimidation for their failure at keeping Sarah from praying.

“Don’t worry,” said Respectability, “this is just round one. There’ll be lots of other opportunities.”

Driving home, Paul vented to Kathy.

“I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it,” He gestured wildly with his hand. “But yeah, I really can. If I’d expected anyone to stand in opposition, I’d pick Sarah.”

“Be nice. She has a right to pray her conscience. Last I checked this was still America, you know.”

“Very funny. You obviously don’t understand the seriousness of the situation. Her actions are just going to cause division and strife. She’s going to get everyone all riled up, even more than they are now, if that’s possible.”

“Well, maybe the Lord did speak to her.”

“Are you crazy? She’s clearly in the minority; her views oppose every other church member’s and my own. Either she’s deceived or I am. One of us sure needs to hear more clearly. We can’t both be right.”

“That’s right, Paul,” said Saldu. “The humble man can consider the possibility that he may be the one who is incorrect. Don’t rationalize, don’t cover up. Just admit your mistake, apologize, and go on; that’s humility. Losing at something doesn’t make you a loser, and failing at something doesn’t make you a failure. The Lord is waiting with open arms to show you the real plans He has for your life and ministry. You must learn to seriously consider the possibility that you are wrong. Defensiveness is hidden pride.”

The silence in the car the rest of the way home was as thick as the darkness outside.

Joel and Malta stood at the foot of Sarah’s bed while she slept that evening, as they did every night.

“She’s sleeping fitfully,” said Joel.

“She knows she’s a leper in the eyes of the church.”

“Especially with Paul. He has a sincere heart, but he’s just too ambitious for his own good—not for Father’s good.”

“He’s filled with pride and wants the people’s approval more than anything. More than he wants to hear from God, although he doesn’t know that yet; more than he wants his marriage to work, and more than he wants a healthy relationship with his son,” said Malta.

“He’s paying way too high a price for things that don’t satisfy. Father is trying hard to put him on the right path, but he’s actively resisting. It’s a shame the damage that will be done in the mean time.”

“God always resists the proud. The only path to exaltation is through the small door called humility. You have to crawl through on your knees, and that is repulsive to Paul.”

“I rejoiced when Sarah found the boldness to pray tonight, especially with Respectability and Intimidation whispering in her ear. What courage she has to go against the flow.”

“That’s exactly what Paul lacks,” said Malta, shaking his head.

“Only in church could you pray for God’s will to be done and stir up a hornet’s nest!”

A hornet’s nest was putting it mildly. Sarah was the hot topic with everyone who’d been at the prayer meeting. Wilma’s auto dial numbers one to nine, got a workout. Frustrated, she deleted Sarah from number ten. That same verse about bearing false witness kept popping into her head, but with persistence she was able to throw it off again. This was just too juicy not to tell. By the time those who attended had called those who hadn’t, practically the whole church had heard.

Ardare’s heart was breaking as he watched the malevolent spirits of Gossip and Slander tighten their stronghold on Wilma’s mind. His hand was on his sword, but he knew he could not draw it without her repentance and cry for help. He shook his head, “The tongue weighs mere ounces, but show me the man or woman who can hold it.”

Oblivious to the supernatural realm or the spiritual warfare around her, Wilma dialed the phone again. The spirits taunted Ardare before turning their attention back to Wilma. Then they whispered destructive lies clothed as truth.

Joel and Malta were still there when Sarah woke in the morning. They hadn’t slept, but weren’t tired. They had never slept since they were created, not even a catnap, but they never grew weary. They were always watching, always alert, always diligent to carry out God’s will. After Sarah had her prayer time, they watched as she struggled to sit up and position herself on the edge of the bed. She rocked back and forth, exerting great effort to make it to her feet. She shuffled off to the bathroom.

“Their temporal bodies always wear out from one affliction or another. Thank the Lord that their eternal spirits don’t perish along with the flesh.”

By the time Sarah got dressed and out of the bathroom, she was a little steadier on her feet. She made a pot of coffee, ate a bowl of cereal, and then started her prayer walk circuit. When she had the strength, she would prayer walk three blocks, on a really good day, four.

Sarah was forcing herself to come out of her shell. As she walked she made an effort to say “Hello” and introduce herself to her neighbors who were out in the yard. When she didn’t know who lived in one of the houses on her four-block prayer route, she checked the mailbox so she could pray for the family by name.