Have you ever woken up in a state of fear? Have you ever
stayed in a place that something didn’t feel quite right? Have you worked
in an environment that felt oppressive as soon as you opened the office doors?
These thoughts and feelings can be used as barometers of the spiritual climate
we may have entered into.
It has been almost exactly a year since I first moved into the Lake House. I have come to adore this place but I
didn’t always. Here is an
untold story:
Aaron, Seth, Ruple and I all moved in together on the same night after
finishing a summer of serving in Haiti. I remember waking up the
following morning in state of panic. Thoughts rushed through my mind
lying in bed.
“Why am I here?
How am I going to take care of myself?
I hardy have anyone supporting me.
I can’t cook.
I can’t do my own laundry.”
A growing fear came over me. Sweat broke across my forehead.
“I shouldn’t be here. I need to get back to Michigan.”
I was paralyzed to my bed. After several long minutes I worked up
enough courage and strength to mobilize my stone body down the stairs to meet
the other guys.
Quickly we found out that all four of us had a terrible night sleeping.
Tossing and turning and bad dreams.
I reflected on my thoughts and realized how irrational I had
become.
I knew exactly why I had come down to Georgia. I was ecstatic to be apart
of the community and give my energy to something I believed in. I definitely
can cook, although not the best, and I can most certainly do my laundry.
We discussed and agreed that there was a spirit of fear over the house.
Interestingly, I struck up a conversation with my neighbor a few days later and
the first thing he says was:
“Oh, you moved into the house at the bottom of the hill through the
woods? There is a lot of negative energy down there. I have been
finishing around your house. Something is not right over there.”
I was floored. And surprised that was the first thing he said. I
never hear anyone talk like that. But he was right. Something was
up.
Now this sort of thing might all sound kind of weird and unusual. But
honestly it had become pretty normal with my trips overseas. Always
moving into new places, new neighborhoods, new cultures, new countries in
oppressed parts of the world gave me new eyes to see into spiritual
climates. (Read another story I wrote from Swaziland here)
I have learned that you can shift the atmosphere of an area. Where there
is darkness lingering you can radiate Light and literally change the feel of an
environment.
Aaron, Seth, Ruple and I went to work. We grabbed the guitar and walked
into every room singing praises and prayers. We set up a stereo in the
living room and played worship music 24/7 through it for a month straight.
Where there is light darkness cannot hide.
We saturated our house with the light of God. After
that month the atmosphere had changed. Since then people remark how
peaceful, warm, and inviting our house is. We typically have a guest stay
with us at least one day every week and it usually leads to a time of natural
ministry.
Are there places you live/work/operate in that could use a spiritual
shift? Try infusing some more Light and see what happens.
