The Darts of the enemy | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Darts of the enemy | Previous Challenge Entry
By Rachel Varghese
04/28/15
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The Darts of The Enemy

I picked up the phone and heard the familiar voice say, “Aunty are you and uncle at home? I would like to stop by at your place on my way from church. I made some peas and potatoes for the potluck and I want to drop off your share. We would also like to see the roses that you planted.” she said.

“Thank you, Geetha. Come on over.” I said happily.

I finished clearing the table and looked out. I saw Geetha, her husband Ram and their three-year-old daughter, Lakshmi walking towards our rose garden.

Geetha’s family had come to USA a year ago and had moved to an apartment near our house. Esther, a prominent member in a neighboring church, introduced us to them. Geetha and Ram were very happy when they met Esther and her husband Paul. They were not only neighbors but were also from the same country. Their seven-year-old son David spent a lot of time playing with little Lakshmi.

Esther invited her new friends to their church and they happily went along with them, though they were Hindus. They continued going with them and Geetha helped with the Children’s Sunday school. We visited both the apartments as they were just opposite to each other. Lately we noticed that there was a change in Esther’s behavior with Geetha’s family. I was tempted to ask why David did not go to play with Lakshmi as he did before, but something stopped me.

This time when Geetha came home she asked if we could go for a walk around the lake near our house and we gladly agreed. Lakshmi enjoyed sitting by the rocks in the cool breeze. It was the perfect day to be out with wild flowers everywhere and people cycling and walking. Finally, we came home and settled down for a snack of chips and popcorn and a hot drink in the sunroom.

Whenever they visited our house Lakshmi always wanted to take a walk upstairs. So I took her and Geetha followed me. We sat in my study and she opened her heart to me. She said that Esther’s family seemed very indifferent to them. David no longer came to play with Lakshmi and when she saw him outside their apartment, she called him and he told that his mother told him not to go to their house. I remembered that Esther had told me that David had told his mother that Geetha had idols in her house and they worshipped them. She could have used that opportunity to tell him about idol worship, but she told him she would really beat him up if he went to their house anymore. Satan had put a wall around her life and she missed a wonderful opportunity to teach her child a good lesson.

Paul used to come to Geetha’s house in the evenings and hang out with Ram. They would do shopping together and eat dinner together in each other’s houses. They and the kids had such a wonderful time before, but now everything had changed. I heard a voice in my mind telling me to tell Geetha what Esther had told me about idol worshippers. I was thinking about warning her not to have anything to do with Esther. Then I heard a still small voice telling me not to do so. My position was not to bad mouth someone but speak the right words. I thought of Isaiah 30:21, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, this is the way; walk in it.” The voice was instructing me, not to put down Esther, but comfort Geetha. Let her go to church and learn more about the living God.

God gave me the right words to tell her about Esther and she went with a light heart and another verse came to my mind again. This time it was Psalms 18:2, I repeated it loud, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” I realized that God is always there to guide you no matter how small or big the problem is.

When the devil throws darts at you use God’s word as your shield for victory.

(True story, names changed)
Foot Note: Scripture ref. NIV

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