It is that time of year again…Mardi GRAS. Since my return home to Haiti I’ve heard the crack of the whips and have watched as the young boys create these annoying noise makers. This past week as I was walking to the orphanage a couple boys no older than 12 tried scaring me with their newly made weapon of noise an fear.Yes… FEAR. Beginning today and every Sunday for the next few months young boys and men will dress up in shredded paper,that makes them look like chickens, and they will wear masks. Similar to what we would wear for Halloween. I’ve seen masks that are pigs, cows, lions, bears, President Clinton (that one was pretty scary…lol).
Then we have those from the scary movies…for the kids those can be very scary, demonic and add to the fact that some of the paper they have shredded is the Word of God…well it makes for months of fear in the hearts of the children and the people here. They go around chasing those that are afraid, bully them and crack their whips to make them even more scared. They may also wield a machetee or two. I do not like this time of year and ever since kindergarten I have not been a fan of scariness as I ran crying out of a little haunted house at our school that the older kids made. When kids my age were going to see Friday the 13th and Halloween, I stuck to the classic Disney movies. In those years the Lord impressed upon me that it wasn’t good to enter into the other side…the darkness. That it was like playing with matches…you could get burned or burn someone else. That the gate you enter may have lasting effects or for some sadly may continue down this path of darkness. Why would you want to play with something that is very real. Hollywood has dressed it up to make it “OK”. Is it really ok to play with matches? I guess a pyromaniac would think so, but who has a hold of him? Stepping down off my soap box now…lol!!
In pasts posts I’ve shared how I have come against this evil…and it is evil!!! Today was no different. A sleepless night and then rising for time of prayer…my spirit new today was going to be a challenge. It began as I headed for church with a group of young teens asking me if I was scared of the Mardi GRAS. I responded with a confident No…why should I when I have Jesus. Let me regress a moment as I told you about the 2 young boys this past week. They had anger in their eyes and cracked the whips to scare me. Instead of backing away from them I went close to them, smiled, opened my arms wide and yelled Boo!! They just stood there with a blank look on their faces. They asked if they scared me and I said what do you think? They laughed and ran off.
Now when I returned from church the Mardi GRAS were out parading around in their foolish chicken attire. Two young men came toward me with whips in hand ready for me to flinch, cower or run. The Lord has given me a bold confidence that I know could only come from him, because their is still a bit of that fearful little girl in me that says…are you crazy get out of here. I stood my ground with my head held high, a smile on my face and a laugh in my belly that they didn’t even try to scare me.
I continued walking and ran into a women who was wearing black and had a white scarf wrapped around her head holding a sugar cane stick and she was yelling…sounded as if she was cursing…people who walked by her. She turned to me and yelled something and again I laughed and said REALLY!! She continued to walk, going up to men and either hitting them hard with the stick or kissing them. I know…crazy. She began to turn on my street and walk toward the house when she turned around to me again and came at me with the stick. Some of you may think I am crazy, but my reaction was to run toward her with open arms and a smile. She stopped dead in her tracks turned and ran and I followed until I reached the house. I must look pretty scary or something or she must have seen the face of Jesus. I firmly believe that the evil one was very present today and that the fear of God had him on the run.
It was very evident today that he didn’t want the church to meet or want us to hear the message. I will right more about this in the next couple of days. Just know today the church was full, not just of people, but of His Spirit. His Spirit is moving in this place and today was the first day since we have moved here that I have felt such an enormous presence of the Holy Spirit. It was very encouraging and overwhelming.
Please pray for the hearts that are in fear. For the children and for those that are being the bullies. Please pray for protection for those being bullied and are in fear. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, to teach us well, and to give us God sized confidence and boldness.
Such an encouraging post…resist the devil and he will flee from you!