Lee me start by saying: Jesus is Lord.
You'll see why I say that later.
Now, what I'm about write about may seem a little kooky, but it happens to me from time to time.
It happened last night.
Here's what went down: I'll have a series of realistic back-to-back nightmares while going into a deep sleep.
They'll feel like dreams that'll start pleasant enough but then turn mysteriously dark.
Like in the last one I had last night, Chevy, our kitten, was violently hissing at me as her eyes were glowing some strange sheen I'd never seen.
Again, the dream started pleasantly, or was I not dreaming, I can't tell, and the blanket on our bed was flowing like there was wind under it. Okay, I am dreaming.
I can feel the safety and security of our bed, but because this is the last of a series of mini-nightmares, I'm a little on guard, having already invoked the name of Christ. I'm ready.
My comforter rose and was suspended in mid-air when suddenly Chevy appeared, crouched in a ball, hissing at me.
Now I should mention that before going to bed, I saw Chevy curled up on the living room couch.
But now, Chevy is hissing at me at the foot of my bed and in my periphery there's another strange unknown grey cat. That freaks me out because what is this cat?
For some reason, I think Chevy is ready to attack me, but I start chanting, "I'm a beloved child of God; you can't hurt me," repeatedly. Then, Chevy lets out one last hate-filled hiss, and I open my eyes.
This isn't the worse. There was one way worse back when I was twenty. That was just weird. Every moment of my life was in this clear liquid that oozed through my hand. I just knew the gig would be up when I got to the last moment I could remember. Irrational, I know, but dreams aren't rational, are they?
When it comes to my faith, I'm usually a pretty rational guy. Yes, I've had an encounter with the living Christ I can't explain rationally, but I tend to like my faith based on the real and tangible. It's one of many failings as a person of faith.
Do I know their supernatural elements to it?
I've encountered things I couldn't explain, so I chalked it up to the "supernatural" after trying to sort it all out.
And I'll tell you what, that's when I turn out the lights and come back later, if ever.
So what do I believe these little nightmares are --
Demonic.
There, I said it.
Do I believe in the Devil or Satan? Like a real live Devil? A Fallen Angel that revolted against God?
You bet I do.
I believe he's spoken to me as well. I've never been so terrified in my life. Boy, I think I said Jesus so many times I lost count.
And he's not as cool as any popular series wants to make him out to be. Instead, he's serious about his envy of humanity.
I once heard that Satan's goal isn't to beat God. You can't kill your creator because, well, you then would cease to exist and no self-aware being wants that to happen.
But Satan isn't above hurting God. So Satan goes after that which God loves the most: man.
So Satan and his demons attack where they can and when they can.
So I'm in a spiritual lull that left me open to an attack. That's what these nightmares are about. Something exploited a little crack to subtle attacks to get me to a place of despair.
I wouldn't say I like it. So I will have to examine a few things and reignite my prayer life.
Is it weird talking about these things?
Yes, because I fancy myself a rational man with a romantic yet realistic notion of Fatih.
But I know there's more out there than all our science and philosophy combined.