Background:
This chapter is difficult for Beth as it's the pinnacle of forgotten childhood memories. Eleanor, the messenger, must depart soon, so, box 3 must be opened for healing..Beth refuses the box...
Background This chapter is difficult for Beth as it's the pinnacle of forgotten childhood memories. Eleanor, the messenger, must depart soon, so, box 3 must be opened for healing..Beth refuses the box... This chapter begins with Elizabeth Catherine Dubois kicking 'Lovie' (His Glove), her God gifted puppy.
Lovie brings the third box dragging it by the bow. Eleanor and Lovie have worked night and day bringing Beth the gift of understanding of the Dubois son, Thomas, and the gift God's love given through, His Glove. However, Elizabeth does not want to open any more boxes. She is now experiencing memories so painful that tears, crying, mourning, whaling, screaming and yelling to God, is frightful. But, Eleanor and His Glove know that without opening box 3, Elizabeth will not experience total understanding, forgiveness, healing and love.
The third box will complete God's plan. The third box is essential. Fore, the memories of Thomas swept into the sea and understanding of the event and what actually happened will not be realized by Beth unless the third gift is applied. The third gift is the healing of memories. The acceptance that all is well and all is as it should be. Therefore, there is no place for guilt, shame, and painful memories. And foremost, self loathing is a lying spirit under the father's plan and it must leave under His command. So, the third box must be opened, understood, believed and applied day after day until self loathing is forever gone from her...
This chapter should be read with an understanding that the conversations that occur between Elizabeth, Eleanor, Lovie and God are often spoken in the mind. They are played as the battle is internalized within Elizabeth Catherine Dubois' psyche. The conversations are symbolically spoken like whispers. Though, God's voice is clear, often many voices are not. And, those should not be confused with the voice of the Almighty.
The battle for life is a game of warfare played in the human mind and heart. Often memories are the weapons used for destruction of a soul.
It is said, water represents emotions and if so, Elizabeth's are as deep as an ocean and as violent as a tidal wave. A wave that comes, overtakes, and recedes to emptiness, isolation and loneliness.
If the subject, Elizabeth Catherine Dubois doesn't sincerely seek help from beyond, her life will be forever in disrepair. But, it is only she, who can fight the war for her soul. No one else, not, Eleanor, or His Glove will be able to war for her. She must go alone with their prayers for protection. Elizabeth stands at the entrance of the war. Will she surrender to a dark existence? Everything that can be prepared for has been by the spirit, and by Eleanor the messenger and His Glove, the love of God. It is now in place. Elizabeth's decision. The third box, yet, unopened. The boxes represent The Holy Trinity. In the remaining box Beth must open is The Spirit of God, the power to be healed and set free. So, what will she choose?
"She must open the box," Lovie said to Eleanor. Eleaanor agreed while talking to His Glove, and further stated,
"Lovie, without the box, we have absolutely nothing else that will help her memories. They are exposed like battered meat."
"Beth can can't live with the painful memories," Lovie replied.
"NO More! The thought of Thomas and his appearance is consuming me with guilt, and anger...I was too young. A child of four. What was I suppose to do? What could I have done differently? Oh, I know, I should have cried louder for help. I should have swam out to sea to save him, and not sought, to save my life. Oh, I could have..." She whimpered in her deluge of tears.
"She is suicidal?.. She sees him in the sea, then she sees him no more. Thomas vanished in the wave. Over and over her memory plays like an old moving camera that won't turn off. A tidal wave of remorse and guilt. We shall not alow suicide its way. We will fight it for her!" They whisper to each other as they watch Elizabeth. Watching through a veil like a crystal ball, they mourn for her.
Also, feeling like failures, as they meant to bring her greetings of joy over-flowing, and love without ends, but, instead Beth rejects their plans. So, Eleanor and His Glove sought a higher answer from the highest source. They called to the spirit delivered in the wind, their plea for help. They would have to wait for a reply, but time was running short. Their mission could be jeopardized if an answer did not come soon... "She must open the box."
"Why did I live? And, why did Thomas die? Why GOD? PLEASE! STOP THESE MEMORIES!" Beth also calls to another demension...The tormentors are there to also hear and receive cries in the wind. Quickly, they move closer to comfort Beth. Loudly they blaim, accuse and batter her soul. "Well, you could have, well you should have, surely you know you should have..." On and on they scream at her until her self worth is minute...They laugh as they beat her to a pulp...
Leaving Beth in this condition is ominous. Eleanor felt she had done harm instead of good. This was not her purpose nor plan. Beth is vulnerable to the wiles of evil tormentors. Eleanor knew, she and His Glove must close the gap. There is no other way. She would not abort the plan even if she was on her own without the help of the great spirit. Time is short for all. She knew what to do, she had done this many times before. She wasn't a novice, but each war for a soul was different.
Eleanor had promised Beth, "the third box will bring healings and feelings of joy. But, in order for it to help you, you must open!"
Beth replied, "no....no no no no no NO!"
She refuses to believe Eleanor as the other two boxes have brought terror and horror.
Mutering, "How could a third box help? Box one, brought a black puppy which is adorable, but really? What does a dog have to do Thomas being swept away to sea?" Then Beth does have a brief memory of the black rag stuffed animal that also was swept out to sea with Thomas. The ragged animal? His Glove. Little Beth called, "Lovie." She switched back, adding, "What would box three bring? Joy? Happiness?"
Her faith of deliverance from pain and suffering was in the valley of sorrow and loneliness. After all, she didn't know to ask for that. She didn't know there was such a thing as deliverance. "I don't trust Eleanor nor a black puppy named His Glove. Even though, it is ironic that His Glove seemed oddly familiar." A rag dog lost at sea now at her home.
Emotional raw meat. "Why? How could this be? What is happening? I must be loosing my mind." Oh, over and over and over beating herself up with thoughts that would not shut down. The tormenting spirits are eternally relentless always accusing whom ever they can. Talking in dreams, talking through others, talking rationally like a good self conscious. They never sleep.
They also recognized the battle for their home in Elizabeth will have to be fought, but Eleanor, and a black dog were a joke. So, it was a sure win.
However, Eleanor knows that God opens doors to do HIS greatest works when one is at the door to the valley of despair, isolation, loneliness and death.
"Her three companions who have followed her from childhood won't want to leave her. Ater all, Elizabeth Catherine Dubois was their home. They won't leave without a fight. They never do."
Prepare for the war, His Glove." You stand here. You will represent The Father. The locket of Thomas will be the son. And, I shall stand at the foot with box 3. Beth will be in our center. This was created symbolically as Beth remained in her own territory away from whom she believed were the tormentors. After all, her old friends fear, loneliness and isolation seem more familiar even if they always remind her of her inadequacies. "They were honest, at least and not trying to disrupt her things as they are... " She mutters under her breath. Preparing her own war against the intruders.
Suddenly, the flood gates open. Beth's ground tilled and fertilized with Lithium tears. And, now, because of painful soul tilling, love could take root, but she must let love. The tormentors drew swords to prevent love from entering. They will stand their ground. And, Beth was their home!
The love seeds are ready for planting. The grounds of emotions stirred. Eleanor knows that box three will provide the understanding of the events. And, forgiveness of herself promised a good remainder of life. And, true love, joy unspeakable are hers. All she needed to do is ask and receive the third box. His Glove was a beginning of love. These gifts if allowed will grow beyond her wildest dreams. But, box 3 must be opened to be complete and to do the war for Beth against the tormentors. His Glove prays for Eleanor, as well as Beth. He will not let them down.
After all, dogs are loyal until the end. Eleanor is most thankful for his help. Though His Glove's love seems small, it can wedge a door closed tightly from decades of sadness and tears.
Eleanor prays that His Glove succeeds in cracking the door of tormentors, pain and sorrow. They will be armed most likely with accusations, spit and vomit.
"Will Elizabeth keep the door open? Or would she close the door of her past and live a living hell on Earth? The choice is entirely, Elizabeth's,"
His Glove. She asks, "Why are you here? Why did you come?"
Spoken in utter despair and through tears mourning the lost memories, Beth says, "I was better before you came." Sobbing, Elizabeth warns Eleanor "this plan is a failure!. And, Lovie! Why is he here?"
Lovie, bravely not whimpering or cowering, he speaks to Eleanor, "If she doesn't open the box 3 this disaster will continue for ever. It will leave behind memories that take on ghosts, to haunt for a lifetime. Never finding peace or rest. I don't want Beth's soul to hurt anymore. "Please, Beth, I am on your side. Don't you see?"
His Glove, a human once said, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink it. They have minds of their own, They may do as they please. They have free will. It is a true statement."
"But her name is written in HIS book isn't it?' "Yes, but her lines are wavy." She will decide her resting place. It's not ours to say."
"No!" We will do the best we can and more. We are not lazy!"
"Oh, His Love you are truly like God." Eleanor hugs him. She says, "Yes, we will do the best we can do." Both pray leaving Elizabeth Catherine Dubois out of the prayer. She is too unbelieving and angry now. A soul can relinquishes a prayer. It is void then. So, they left her out, though 3 chords are harder to break, than 2. They must seek and request without her, for now...
They form the triangle. The Trinity around Elizabeth Catherine Dubois.
Eleanor gives humble thanks to The God, The Father of The Universe. She repents of any wrong doing and asks to be cleansed and Lovie included.
She thanks him and begins a little song of blessings, joy and triumphant delivery.
She pours wine and vinegar around them and sips from the cup.
She sprinkles a few drops on Lovie and over Thomas' picture.
Eleanor leads the hymn: '
Our God In Help In Ages Past'
"First and last verse., only Eleanor whispers"
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
...
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
Elizabeth enters the room. She says, "my mother sang that hymn."
Eleanor addresses Elizabeth, "you asked into the wind. You asked the Heavens to find Thomas and give you a report. You asked for God's love and little His Glove was sent to you as a small token of how much God loves you. His Glove is part of the plan to help you see the painful past and to help you understand that all is well, all is right, and everything is as it should be. The wind brought your cries by angels wings to Our Father. He heard a four year old girl cry. He cried too. He sent me and I called for His Glove who was lost to sea in the body of a rag puppy dog. You see, Lovie came too. He also came to love you again. He never forgot Little Beth."
She yells! "Then, why did it take my life time to find me if he is God as you say? God can be quicker, He is God."
"Human time is not the same as Heaven time. Human tears and pains are not healed until they are ready. So, healing does not come until the grounds are turned, saturated with tears, plowed by pain and hurt, and given back to God f or planting and yielding a crop of beauty. "
"Well, have I cried enough for God? Have I hurt enough? Have I shed enough tears? Have I suffered alone enough for him! And, I dispise the Dubois'! I hope they are in HELL!"
"Elizabeth, STOP! You are not to hate anyone, anything, or yourself. Everything works for good if God has called them. And, dear sweet one, He called you. "
"Fine way to love a child!" She screams her pain. "How could he have left a 4 year old in such utter despair? Then, how could He take away a young women's remaining family in a fire! What the hell did he want of me! You say HE LOVES ME! ... No, I think not!"
"Oh Dear...." Eleanor whispers up towards God, "Sir, Dear Father, I need help. I need reenforcements, please."
He puts a song in Eleanor's heart. He tells her to sing it as it was Elizabeth's mothers song she sang to her. So, Eleanor starts singing a song Beth a childhood tune as she was told, the one her mother sang to little Beth, on rare occasions.
"He Gave Me Beauty For Ashes," Eleanor sings as a whisper in the background. Elizabeth turns and looks at her.
She says, "my mum sang that to me."
"Well, come in the center, lets sing it together, dear. We will sing more until you are free." Eleanor began the tune so softly. She sounded like Beth's mother. Elizabeth looked at her and for a moment saw, her mother Catherine Dubois. She smiled. She is so beautiful. She sings to Beth,
"He gave you beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
That we might be righteous....
Sing with me sweet little Elizabeth." Catherine Dubois takes her hand. She looks into Beth's wet sad eyes, sing with me dear. Sing with mummy."
"He gave me beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning, T
he garment of praise
For the spirit of heaviness."
That we might be trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord
That He might be glorified."
The Tormentors stuck their swords into Beth. They would not let her go. If they must leave then they will take her soul with them to the place of eternal torment. "After all, she belongs to them. She is their home."
Author Notes
The artist picture is true of an empty broken down house that is no longer a home for a living soul, but represents a broken heart and dreams. Only tears, sadness and bad memories are in this place. So, many thanks to "Once More, Why?" by wall paper. Great art as you depicted what this chapter says. Thank you...
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