I recently had a dream that I was in a library. It was huge. I felt so small as I stood amongst the rows and rows of books that climbed to the highest ceiling I’d ever seen. There had to be millions of books. I don’t know how, but I knew two books were missing and I had to get them back. So I walked through the aisles searching when suddenly I was standing in a small dark room with a dim light behind me. I heard something and turned to look toward the light. I saw a small man standing on the other side of the door. I knew he had taken the books and I told him to give them to me. I watched as he began to grow much taller until he was gigantic. Then his chest puffed out, little by little, as if in slow motion. A pointy witch hat that lay flat on his head began to unfold until it stood erect. I wasn’t afraid because I knew He couldn’t get past the door.
The two things that struck me as significant in the dream were the books and the door. The books represent my book, and the closed door implies safety. Many of you know I have written a book about how I was attacked by witchcraft, and I am very close to releasing it. But the devil is trying to interfere with that process. That is no surprise. I was upset when I woke up from the dream. I lay there for a while thinking and sighing. So many doubts and fears filled my mind that I literally contemplated not publishing the book, but not for long. The devil will use any avenue to try and disturb us and shake our faith, even dreams. He wants us to falter and doubt the power of God in our lives. The dream wasn’t intimidating until I woke up. That was when I started to doubt and fear, which was a lack of faith and trust in God. I recognize that it was a temptation. And for a while, I entertained it.
Doubt and fear do not come from God. They come from the enemy or our own insecurities, which the devil will use against us. Everyone is going to experience doubt and fear at times. What matters is that we learn to overcome those fears and place our faith in God, trusting that He will always guide us in the right direction. God was present in my dream in the form of a door. And the devil couldn’t penetrate that door. It signified a barrier between me and the enemy. The Lord was there, unassuming and protecting. This was reassuring.
“Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours“
Mark 11:24
Faith is an unwavering trust in God in all things. It is the belief that God hears our prayers and a knowing that we will one day be with Him. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit freely given to all at baptism. It has no measurement but will inevitably fluctuate as we navigate through the difficulties of life. There are many things I could touch on, but one example of this shift in faith is that many young people have lost their faith and left the Catholic Church, leaving their parents confused and heartbroken. They feel helpless to change the situation because it seems there is nothing they can do to stop it, and in a way, there isn’t. We can’t stop our kids from making this choice. The most effective way is to set a good example, pray, and give them to God. This is one of those trials that test a person’s faith. It is hard to have complete trust in God in this situation. And I believe that it takes time for people to get there. There is a mourning stage a parent goes through, and this ultimately leads them to surrender their doubts and fears to God, which increases faith.
Prayer is a way of constantly surrendering our children to God. This kind of prayer comes from deep love, which makes it incredibly powerful. It is produced through suffering and cultivated in love. A parent’s prayer absolutely creates a barrier between your child and the devil. It is like an invisible fortress of protection that surrounds them. Even though there is still worry and some fear, this prayer is faith in action. We are not going to have control over every situation in life. Some things are just out of our hands. But if we surrender them all to God, believing He will answer them according to His will and in His time, He will sustain us and show us the way.
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