Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters by James Stuart Bell

Author:James Stuart Bell [Bell, James Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL012000, REL012040, Christian life—Anecdotes, Supernatural—Anecdotes, Miracles—Anecdotes
ISBN: 9781441271136
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2014-04-23T04:00:00+00:00

The Well-Dressed Devil

Beatrice Fishback

After six years, my marriage was on the rocks. Although not physically separated, my husband, Jim, and I were emotionally separated and no longer enjoyed each other’s company.

Jim had begged me to go to church with him in a last-ditch effort to save our relationship.

“No,” I said. After all, why would I attend church with someone who didn’t show love to me at home?

Selfishness somehow has a way of making our attitudes seem justified and sanctimonious. So I felt a certain sense of superiority and pride thinking I had hurt Jim in the process of denying a very important element in our marriage—God.

I blamed Jim for our marital problems, but actually I was self-centered and self-absorbed. I wanted things to go my way whenever a decision was made—big or small. So we fought over everything. And I always had to be right.

He eventually stopped speaking to me and communication became impossible.

My stubborn actions toward Jim also hardened my love toward God. I no longer wanted to attend church and finally convinced myself that God no longer existed. So my marriage drifted and my relationship with God became stunted.

God does not necessarily take us where we think we want to go. And there are times He takes drastic measures to get our attention and keep us from making huge errors. That’s exactly what He did with me—and in living, dreaming color.

It was another night of silent stubbornness. Jim’s stiff back facing me attested to the fact that once again we had gone to bed with no communication between us. Obstinately I slung around and turned my back to his and fell into a deep sleep.

I dreamed I was on a ship—a beautiful cruise ship with a long promenade and glittering lights. It was a star-studded evening and the moon beamed with supernatural radiance.

I was wearing a long evening dress that caressed my chest and hips in sultry elegance. My shoulders were slung back with confidence and self-assurance as I strolled alone along the deck and gazed at the stars. The entire setting was as glorious as the heavenly sky.

I noticed someone coming toward me. A man. Somehow I knew that I didn’t want to speak to anyone, especially to a man. So I turned away and gazed upward, this time holding on to the ship’s railing. Yet each time I turned, the well-dressed man was closer than the time before.

Finally, he stood right beside me. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, his pant legs pressed with starched precision. The cummerbund around his waist peeked out from under a tailored jacket. The buttons on his white shirt glittered like jewels.

He was tall, dark, and handsome. His chiseled chin and smooth dark hair complemented his warm smile and complexion. He was every woman’s dream of the perfect man—attractive, debonair, and charming.

I looked up into his eyes. He gazed at me with self-possession.

“What do you want from me? Why are you following me?” I asked.

He smiled and spoke softly, yet his words were not gentle or enticing.

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